tne 


LADY   BETTY   ACROSS    THE    WATER 


Lady  Betty 


ACROSS  THE  WATER 


EDITED    BY 


C.  N.  &  A.  M. 
WILLIAMSON 

Authors  of  My  Friend  the  Chauffeur 


Illustrations  by  Orson  Lowell 

NEW  YORK 

McCLURE,  PHILLIPS   &  CO. 
MCMVI 


Copyright,  1906,  by 
McCLURE,  PHILLIPS  &  CO. 

Published,  May,  1906 
Second  Impression 


Copyright,  1905,  1906,  by  The  Curtis  Publishing  Company 


U/73L33 


To 

the  people  of  that  great,  delightful,  and  hospitable 

land  which  gave  Lady  Betty  the  time  of  her  life 

and  inspiration,  this  story  of  her  visit  is  admiringly 

Dedicated   by   Betty  Bulkeley 

and  C.  N.  and  A.M.  Williamson 


912990 


CONTENTS 

CHAP.  PAGE 

I.  ABOUT  BEING  BANISHED 3 

II.  ABOUT  CROSSING  THE  WATER 20 

III.  ABOUT  NEW  YORK 50 

IV.  ABOUT  SHOPPING  AND  MEN 83 

V.  ABOUT  WEST  POINT  AND  PROPOSALS     ....  101 

VI.  ABOUT  THE  PARK  AND  LOVE  STORIES     .     .     .     .  118 

VII.  ABOUT  SKY-SCRAPERS  AND  BEAUTIFUL  LADIES  .  133 

VIII.  ABOUT    NEWPORT    AND    GORGEOUSNESS     .     .     .  141 

IX.  ABOUT  BATHING,  A  DRESS,  AND  AN  EARL     .     .  156 

X.  ABOUT  A  VIOLET  TEA  AND  A  MILLIONAIRE     .     .  170 

XL  ABOUT  A  GREAT  AFFAIR 180 

XII.  ABOUT  A  WEDDING  AND  A  DISASTER     ....  200 

XIII.  ABOUT  RUNNING  AWAY 211 

XIV.  ABOUT  THE  TWENTIETH  CENTURY  LIMITED  AND 

CHICAGO 223 

XV.  ABOUT  SEEING  CHICAGO 227 

XVI.  ABOUT  THE  VALLEY  FARM 238 

XVII.  ABOUT  Cows  AND  NATIONAL  CHARACTERISTICS  253 
XVIII.  ABOUT  SOME   COUNTRY  FOLK,  AND  WALKER'S 

EMPORIUM 272 

XIX.  ABOUT  GETTING  ENGAGED 289 

XX.  ABOUT   JIM   AND   THE   DUKE 297 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 

"I    FOUND    MYSELF    CHATTING    AWAY    WITH     THOSE     CADETS    AS 

IF    I    HAD    GROWN    UP    WITH    THEM  "     .       .       .       .         Frontispiece 

FACING 
PAGE 

"HE    TURNED     AROUND     QUICKLY,    GLANCED     UP     AND     CAUGHT 

MY    EYES,    AS    I    WAS    LOOKING    DOWN,  QUITE    DISTRESSED  "       34 

"WHEN  I  TURNED  TO  SPEAK  TO  HIM  HE  WAS  GONE  .  .  . 
AND  I  WAS  IMMEDIATELY  SURROUNDED  BY  OTHER  MEN 
ASKING  ME  FOR  DANCES  " 196 

"  I  SWEPT  PAST  HIM  WITH  MY  NOSE  IN  THE  AIR,  TRYING  TO 

LOOK  LIKE  MOTHER  " 206 

"  MR.  TROWBRIDGE  TOOK  ME  TO  THE  BEEHIVES  TO  GET  SOME 

HONEY  AND  SHOW  ME  WHAT  A  QUEEN  BEE  IS  LIKE  "      .258 

"  JlM  SMILED  AND  KEPT  HIS  SEAT  WITHOUT  THE  LEAST  AP 
PARENT  EFFORT" .  302 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 


ABOUT    BEING    BANISHED 

I  DON'T  know  yet  whether  I'm  pleased  or  not,  but  I 
do  know  that  I'm  excited — more  excited  than  I've 
ever  been  in  my  life,  except  perhaps  when  Miss 
Mackinstry,  my  last  governess,  had  hysterics  in  the 
schoolroom  and  fainted  among  the  tea  things. 

I  suppose  I  shan't  be  able  to  decide  about  the  state 
of  my  feelings  until  I've  had  more  of  them  on  the  same 
subject,  or  until  I've  written  down  in  this  book  of  mine 
everything  exactly  as  it's  happened.  I  like  doing  that; 
it  makes  things  seem  so  clear  when  you  try  to  review  them 
afterwards. 

The  excitement  began  at  breakfast  by  Mother  having  a 
letter  that  she  liked.  I  knew  she  liked  it  by  the  way  her 
eyes  lighted  up,  as  if  they  had  been  lamps  and  the  letter 
a  match.  All  the  other  letters,  mostly  with  horrid,  trades- 
manny-looking  envelopes,  which  had  been  making  her  quite 
glowery,  she  pushed  aside. 

Mother  won't  have  a  crown  on  her  envelopes ;  she  thinks 
it's  vulgar;  besides,  putting  it  only  on  the  paper  saves 
expense.  This  envelope  had  a  great  sprawly  gold  crest, 
but  she  didn't  seem  to  disapprove  of  it.  She  read  on  and 
on,  then  suddenly  glanced  up  as  if  she  would  have  said 
something  quickly,  to  Victoria ;  she  didn't  say  it,  though, 
for  she  remembered  me.  I  am  never  taken  into  family 
conclaves,  because  I'm  not  out  yet.  I  don't  see  what 
difference  that  makes,  especially  as  I'm  not  to  be  allowed 


4.    LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

to  come  out  till  after  Vic's  married,  because  she  was  pre 
sented  four  years  ago,  and  isn't  even  engaged  yet;  so 
for  all  I  can  teli  I  may  have  to  stay  in  till  I'm  a  hundred, 
or  leak  out  slowly  when  nobody  is  noticing,  as  Vic  says 
girls  do  in  the  middle  classes.  This  time  I  didn't  mind, 
however,  for  I  couldn't  see  how  the  letter  concerned  me; 
and  as  I  was  dying  for  a  sight  of  Berengaria's  puppies, 
which  were  born  last  night,  I  was  glad  when  Mother  told 
me  not  to  fidget  after  I'd  finished  breakfast,  but  to  run 
down  to  the  kennels  if  I  liked. 

Soon  I  forgot  all  about  the  letter,  for  the  puppies  were 
the  dearest  ducks  on  earth  (can  puppies  be  ducks,  I 
wonder?),  and  besides,  it  was  such  a  delicious  June  morn 
ing  that  I  could  have  danced  with  joy  because  I  was 
alive. 

I  often  feel  like  that;  but  there's  nobody  to  tell, 
except  the  trees  and  the  dogs,  and  my  poor  pony,  who  is 
almost  too  old  and  second-childish  now  to  understand. 
She  was  my  brother  Stanforth's  pony  first  of  all,  and 
Stanf orth  is  twenty-eight ;  then  she  was  Vic's,  and  Vic  is 
— but  Mother  doesn't  like  Vic's  age  to  be  mentioned  any 
more,  though  she  is  years  younger  than  Stan. 

I  took  a  walk  in  the  park  and  afterwards  went  through 
the  rose-garden,  to  see  how  the  roses  were  getting  on. 
There  were  a  lot  of  petals  for  my  pot-pourri,  and  gather 
ing  them  up  kept  me  for  some  time.  Then,  as  the  jar 
stands  in  Vic's  and  my  den  (she  calls  it  her  den,  but  it 
has  to  be  part  mine,  as  I  have  no  other),  I  was  going  in 
by  one  of  the  long  windows,  when  I  heard  Mother's  voice. 
"  The  question  is,"  she  was  saying,  "  what's  to  be  done 
with  Betty?" 

I  turned  round  and  ran  away  on  my  tiptoes  across  the 
lawn,  for  I  didn't  want  to  be  an  eavesdropper,  and  it  would 
be  nearly  as  bad  to  have  Mother  know  I  had  heard  even 


ABOUT    BEING    BANISHED  5 

those  few  words;  she  would  be  so  annoyed,  and  Mother 
chills  mj*  all  the  way  through  to  my  bones  when  she's 
annoyed.  It  is  wonderful  how  she  does  it,  for  she  never 
scolds ;  but  the  thermometer  simply  drops  to  freezing- 
point,  and  you  feel  like  a  poor  little  shivering  crocus  that 
has  come  up  too  soon,  by  mistake,  to  find  the  world  cov 
ered  with  snow,  and  no  hope  of  squeezing  back  into  its 
own  cosy  warm  bulb  again. 

I  stopped  out  of  doors  till  luncheon,  and  played  cro 
quet  against  myself,  wishing  that  Stan  would  run  down; 
for  although  Stan  rather  fancies  himself  as  a  Gorgeous 
Person  since  poor  father's  death  gave  him  the  title,  he  is 
quite  nice  to  me,  when  it  occurs  to  him.  I'm  always  glad 
when  he  comes  to  the  Towers,  but  he  hardly  ever  does  in 
the  Season;  and  then  in  August  and  September  he's  al 
ways  in  Scotland.  So  is  Vic,  for  the  matter  of  that,  and 
she  hates  being  in  the  country  in  May  and  June,  though 
Surrey  is  so  close  to  town  that  luckily  she  doesn't  miss 
much;  but  this  year  we  seem  to  have  been  horribly  poor, 
for  some  reason.  Vic  says  it's  Stan's  fault.  He  is  ex 
travagant,  I  suppose.  However,  as  everything  is  really 
his,  I  don't  see  that  we  ought  to  complain ;  only,  it  can't 
be  pleasant  for  him  to  feel  that  Mother  is  worrying  lest 
he  should  marry  and  make  her  a  frumpy  dowager,  before 
we  two  girls  are  off  her  hands. 

At  luncheon,  Mother  mentioned  to  me  that  she  had  wired 
to  ask  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  and  her  cousin,  Miss  Sally 
Woodburn,  down  for  dinner  and  to  stay  the  night.  "  You 
will  be  pleased,  Betty,  as  you  like  Miss  Woodburn  so 
much,"  she  said. 

"  I  like  her,  but  I  don't  like  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox,  and 
I  don't  know  how  to  pronounce  her,"  said  I. 

"For  goodn^  sake,  don't  call  her  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  to 
her  face  again,  cut  in  Vic. 


6   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

"  I  didn't  mean  to ;  it  slipped  out,"  I  defended  my 
self.  "  Besides,  it  was  you  who  nicknamed  her  that." 

"  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  is  a  very  charming  person,  and 
a  thorough  woman  of  the  world,"  Mother  asserted,  in 
that  way  she  has  of  saying  the  word  which  you  had 
better  leave  for  the  last  if  you  know  what  is  good  for 
you. 

I  did  leave  it  for  the  last  so  far  as  answering  was  con 
cerned,  but  inside,  where,  thank  goodness,  even  her  eyes 
can't  see,  I  was  wondering  hard  when  Mother  had  formed 
that  flattering  opinion.  A  fortnight  ago  I  heard  her 
announce  that  Americans  "  got  upon  her  nerves,"  and  she 
hoped  she  would  not  soon  be  called  upon  to  meet  any  more. 
As  she  had  made  this  remark  directly  after  bidding  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay  good-bye,,  I  naturally  supposed  that  lady  to 
be  the  immediate  cause  for  it.  But  now,  it  seemed,  this 
was  not  the  case. 

"  You  would  be  very  ungrateful  if  you  disliked  her," 
Mother  went  on,  "  as  she  took  such  a  tremendous  fancy 
to  you." 

"  Dear  me,  I  didn't  know  that ! "  I  exclaimed,  opening 
my  eyes  wide.  "  I  thought  it  was  Vic  she " 

66  You  are  her  favourite,  as  you  are  with  Miss  Wood- 
burn,  also,"  said  Mother,  who  gets  the  effect  of  being  so 
tremendously  dignified  partly,  I  believe,  from  never  clip 
ping  her  words  as  the  rest  of  us  do.  "  I  am  asking  them 
down  again  especially  on  your  account,  and  I  want  you 
to  be  particularly  nice  to  them." 

"It's  easy  enough  to  be  nice  to  Sally  Woodburn, 
but " 

I  caught  a  look  from  Vic  and  broke  off  my  sentence, 
hurrying  to  change  it  into  another.  "  As  they're  sailing 
for  the  States  so  soon,  I  shan't  have  time  to  spread  my 
self  much." 


ABOUT    BEING    BANISHED  7 

"  Don't  be  slangy,  Betty ;  it  doesn't  suit  you,"  said 
Mother.  "  You  pick  up  too  many  things  from  Stanforth." 

"  Trust  him  not  to  drop  anything  worth  having,"  inter 
polated  Vic,  which  was  pert;  but  Mother  never  reproves 
her. 

"  Perhaps  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  and  Miss  Woodburn 
won't  come,"  I  said,  for  the  sake  of  getting  on  safer 
ground. 

"  Not  come  ?  Of  course  they  will  come.  It  is  short 
notice,  but  if  they  have  other  engagements  they  will  break 
them,"  returned  Mother;  and  though  it  would  be  as  im 
possible  for  her  to  be  vulgar  or  snobbish,  as  it  would 
for  a  tall  white  arum  lily  to  be  either  of  those  things,  still 
I  couldn't  help  feeling  that  her  unconscious  thought  was : 
"  The  invitation  to  a  couple  of  unknown,  touring  Ameri 
cans,  from  the  Duchess  of  Stanforth,  is  equivalent  to  my 
receiving  a  Royal  Command." 

She  was  probably  right, — anyhow,  so  far  as  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay  is  concerned:  as  for  Sally  Woodburn,  I  don't  think 
she  has  a  drop  of  snobbish  blood  in  her  veins.  She's 
Southern — not  South  American,  as  I  was  stupid  enough 
to  think  at  first ;  but  from  some  Southern  State  or  other ; 
Kentucky,  I  believe  it  is.  She's  short  and  plump,  and  olive 
and  smooth  as  ivory  satin,  with  soft,  lazy  brown  eyes,  a 
voice  like  rich  cream,  a  smile  which  says :  "  Please  like 
me " ;  and  pretty,  crinkly  dark  hair  that  is  beginning 
to  glitter  with  silver  network  here  and  there,  though 
she  isn't  exactly  old,  even  for  a  woman — perhaps  about 
thirty. 

I  knew  that  Miss  Woodburn  rather  fancied  me,  and  I 
was  quite  pleased  to  take  her  up  to  her  room,  when  she 
and  her  elder  cousin  arrived,  about  an  hour  before  dinner. 
I  stopped  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then  left  her  with  her 
maid,  while  I  went  to  help  Vic,  and  get  myself  ready. 


8    LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

We've  only  one  maid  between  the  three  of  us,  nowadays; 
which  means  (unless  there's  some  reason  why  Vic  should 
be  made  particularly  smart),  that  Mother  gets  more  than 
a  third  of  Thompson's  services.  That's  as  it  should  be, 
of  course,  and  we  don't  grudge  it;  but  Vic's  rather  help 
less,  and  I  always  have  to  hurry,  to  see  her  through. 

This  evening,  though,  I  found  Thompson  in  Vic's  room, 
next  to  mine;  and  just  as  I  scientifically  dislocated  my 
arms  to  unhook  my  frock,  which  does  up  behind,  Mother 
came  in.  "  Betty,"  she  said,  quite  playfully  for  her, 
"  I  have  a  very  pleasant  surprise  for  you.  You  would 
never  be  able  to  guess,  so  I  will  tell  you.  I  have  consented 
to  let  you  go  and  visit  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  and  Miss 
Woodburn  in  America.  Aren't  you  delighted?  " 

I  felt  as  if  the  wall  of  the  house  were  tumbling  down, 
and  I  would  presently  be  crumpled  up  underneath. 

"  My  goodness  gracious,  Mother !  "  I  managed  to  stam 
mer,  forgetting  how  I've  always  stood  in  awe  of  her,  since 
I  could  toddle.  "  How — how  perfectly  extraordinary ! 
Why  am  I  going?  And  is  it  all  decided,  whether  I  like  or 
not?  " 

"  Of  course  you  will  like.  To  travel  with  pleasant  com 
panions  and  see  a  great,  new  country  under  such  charm 
ing  auspices,  is  an  immense  privilege,  a  very  unusual 
privilege  for  a  young  girl,"  Mother  replied  promptly. 
"  As  for  the  *  why,'  you  are  going  because  you  have  been 
cordially  invited;  because  I  think  the  experience  will  be 
for  your  advantage,  present  and  future;  because  also  it 
will  be  good  for  a  growing  girl  like  you  to  have  the  brac 
ing  effect  of  a  sea  voyage." 

"  Mother,  I  haven't  a  thing  the  matter  with  me,  and 
I  haven't  grown  the  eighth  of  an  inch  this  whole  last  year ; 
you  can  see  by  my  frocks,"  I  protested,  more  on  principle 
than  because  it  would  be  any  use  to  protest,  or  because  I 


ABOUT    BEING    BANISHED  9 

was  sure  that  I  wanted  Mother  to  change  her  mind. 
Naturally  the  protest  had  no  effect,  but  Mother's  mood 
mercifully  remained  placid,  and  she  didn't  give  me  a  single 
freezing  look. 

"  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  is  a  woman  of  good  family 
and  position  in  her  own  country,"  she  went  calmly  on. 
"  I  have  satisfied  myself  on  those  points  beyond  doubt,  or 
I  should  not  dream  of  allowing  you  to  be  her  guest.  She 
has  a  cottage  at  Newport,  and  will  take  you  there,  as 
summer,  it  seems,  is  not  the  Season  in  New  York.  You 
may  stay  with  her  through  July  and  August, — even  for 
September,  if  you  are  amusing  yourself.  Later,  Mrs. 
Stuyvesant-Knox  will  send  you  home  with  friends  of  hers, 
who  can  be  trusted  to  take  good  care  of  you.  She  knows 
several  people,  she  tells  me,  who  are  crossing  in  the 
autumn,  to  winter  abroad;  and  they  would  bring  you  to 
me.  Of  course,  I  should  have  to  be  nice  to  them,  by  way 
of  showing  my  appreciation  of  any  trouble  you  had  given ; 
but  a  dinner,  and  a  Saturday  to  Monday  at  most,  would 
be  quite  enough." 

So  it  was  all  arranged,  even  to  the  details  of  my  home 
coming,  and  the  price  to  be  paid  for  returning  me,  like  a 
parcel,  to  my  owner !  Suddenly  I  remembered  the  words  I 
had  overheard  at  the  window  of  the  den.  "  The  question 
is,  what  is  to  be  done  with  Betty?  " 

Mother  had  evidently  been  so  anxious  to  have  the  ques 
tion  answered,  that  she  had  at  once  taken  measures  to 
settle  it.  But  why  should  anything  be  done  with  me? 
Nothing  ever  had  been,  so  far,  except  when  I  was  sent  last 
autumn  to  stop  with  my  aunt;  and  she  was  so  much 
annoyed  because  my  cousin  Loveland  came  home  unex 
pectedly,  that  after  that  I  could  do  nothing  to  please  her, 
and  was  packed  back  to  Battlemead  Towers  in  disgrace, 
I  never  could  understand  for  what  crime. 


10   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

"  How  did  Mrs.  Ess — I  mean,  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-TCnox 
happen  to  ask  for  a  visit  from  me  ?  "  I  ventured  to  wrig 
gle  out,  like  a  worm  who  isn't  sure  whether  it  had  better 
turn  or  not.  I  was  certain  that  for  some  reason  of  her  own. 
Mother  had  suggested  the  idea,  if  only  hypnotically ;  but 
she  seemed  almost  too  frank  as  she  answered,  and  it  was 
frightening  not  even  to  be  snubbed. 

"  I  told  you  to-day  that  she  had  taken  a  fancy  to  you, 
my  dear.  Of  course,  she  could  not  hope  to  secure  Victoria, 
even  if  she  preferred  her,  for  Victoria  has  important 
engagements  which  will  carry  her  through  the  season,  and 
afterwards  to  Cowes  and  up  to  Scotland  for  the  shooting 
at  Dorloch  Castle.  But  you  are  still  almost  a  child ;  and 
children  do  not  have  engagements.  Nevertheless,  you  are 
Lady  Betty  Bulkeley,  the  Duke  of  Stanforth's  sister,  and 
as  such,  though  in  yourself  you  are  an  unimportant  little 
person,  it's  not  impossible  that  as  a  member  of  your  family, 
these  Americans  may  think  you  worth  cultivating.  One 
hears  that  they  worship  titles." 

"  I'm  sure  they  can't  worship  them  as  much  as  some 
people  in  our  own  country,  who  haven't  got  them,  do,"  I 
cried,  defending  Americans  for  Miss  Woodburn's  sake. 
"  Vic  says " 

"  Never  mind  what  Victoria  says,"  returned  Mother. 
"  The  less  you  think  on  these  subjects,  the  better,  my  dear 
Betty.  I  merely  hinted  at  a  possible  and  partial  incentive 
to  these  people's  friendship  for  you,  so  that  you  need  not 
feel  it  incumbent  to  be  oppressively  grateful,  you  know.  I 
should  wish  you  to  keep  your  dignity  among  foreigners, 
even  though  you  would,  of  course,  look  upon  Mrs.  Stuy- 
vesant-Knox  as,  in  a  way,  your  guardian.  Now  I  must 
call  Thompson,  and  have  her  put  me  into  my  dinner  dress, 
as  there  is  no  more  time  to  waste.  When  Mrs.  Stuyvesant- 
Knox  speaks  of  your  visit,  you  will  know  what  to  say." 


ABOUT    BEING    BANISHED  11 

I  mumbled  something  vaguely  dutiful,  and  began  to 
dress  as  quickly  as  I  could ;  but  the  more  I  thought  of  it, 
the  more  I  felt  that  I  hadn't  been  fairly  treated,  to  be  dis 
posed  of  in  such  an  offhand  way.  After  all,  I  am  eighteen ; 
and  a  person  of  eighteen  isn't  a  child. 

I'm  not  sure  I  wasn't  pouting  when  Vic  came  in,  ready 
for  dinner,  asking  if  she  should  fasten  up  my  frock.  I 
had  nearly  finished  it,  for  practice  has  made  me  almost 
as  clever  as  a  conjurer  about  manipulating  my  hands  be 
hind  my  back,  but  when  Vic  flew  at  me  and  began  giving 
useless  little  touches,  I  guessed  that  she  wanted  to  whisper 
something  in  my  ear  without  Mother  seeing,  if  she  should 
happen  to  prance  in  at  the  wrong  moment — as  she  often 
does. 

"  Look  here,  Betty,  are  you  going  to  be  a  good  little 
girl,  and  do  what  you're  bid,  without  making  a  fuss?  "  she 
asked,  in  a  quick,  low  voice. 

"  I'm  not  certain  yet,"  said  I.  "  I'm  thinking  it 
over.  I  don't  see  why  I  should  be  sent  off  across  the  water 
with  strangers,  at  a  moment's  notice,  and  I " 


CC  V 


'Tisn't  a  moment's  notice.  It's  five  days.  They're 
not  sailing  till  Wednesday,  and  as  they've  a  suite  en 
gaged, — the  best  on  the  ship,  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  says, — your 
going  won't  put  them  out  a  bit,  and  they'll  love  having 
you.  As  for  the  whys  and  wherefores,  Mother's  been  tell 
ing  you,  hasn't  she?  " 

"  She  talked  about  my  health  and  valuable  experiences, 
and  a  lot  of  things  in  the  air,  but  I  feel  there's  something 
behind  it,  and  I  hate  mysteries " 

"  If  I  can  convince  you  it's  for  the  good  of  the  family 
in  general,  if  not  yours  in  particular,  will  you  be  a  nice, 
white,  woolly  lamb,  and  go  with  your  kind  little  American 
friends?  "  Vic  broke  in,  with  her  head  on  my  shoulder  and 
an  arm  slipped  round  my  waist. 


12   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

"  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  neither  little  nor  kind,"  said  I,  "  but, 
of  course,  I'll  do  anything  to  help,  if  only  I'm  treated  like 
a  rational,  grown-up  human  being." 

"  And  so  you  shall  be.  I  told  Mother  it  would  be  much 
better  to  be  frank  with  you,  if  you  are  a  Baby.  It's  too 
late  to  explain  things  now,  but  if  you'll  be  sweet  to  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay,  and  agree  with  everything  everybody  says  about 
your  trip,  when  we  come  up  to  bed  and  Mother's  door's 
shut,  I'll  make  a  clean  breast  and  show  you  exactly  how 
matters  stand." 

With  this,  we  separated,  for  we  could  hear  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay's  voice  in  the  corridor,  talking  to  Sally  Woodburn 
on  the  way  downstairs.  Her  voice  is  never  difficult  to  hear ; 
rather  the  other  way;  and  Miss  Woodburn's  soft  little 
drawl  following  it,  reminded  me  of  a  spoonful  of  Devon 
shire  cream  after  a  bunch  of  currants. 

Mother  was  with  them  both  in  the  oak  drawing-room 
when  Vic  and  I  got  down,  and  I  found  myself  staring  at 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay  with  a  new  kind  of  criticism  in  my  mind; 
indeed,  it  hadn't  occurred  to  me  before  to  criticise  at  all. 
I'd  only  felt  that  I  didn't  want  to  come  any  closer  to  her. 
Now  I  was  to  come  much  closer,  it  seemed,  and  I  looked  at 
the  glittering  lady,  wondering  how  it  would  feel  to  be  so 
close — wondering  what  she  herself  was. 

Outside,  she's  more  like  the  biggest  and  most  splendid 
dressmaker's  model  ever  made  for  a  Paris  show-window 
than  anything  else  I  can  think  of;  at  least,  she  is  like 
that  from  under  her  chin  down  to  the  tips  of  her  toes. 
I  say  under  her  chin,  for  that  feature,  as  well  as  all  the 
others  above  it,  are  miles  removed  from  a  pretty,  wax  lady 
in  a  show-window. 

I  never  supposed  till  I  met  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox,  that 
a  live  woman  could  have  a  figure  exactly  like  the  fashion- 
plates,  swelling  like  a  tidal  wave  above  an  hourglass  of  a 


ABOUT    BEING    BANISHED  13 

waist,  and  retreating  far,  far  into  the  dim  perspective 
below  it,  then  suddenly  bulging  out  behind  like  a  round, 
magnificent  knoll,  after  a  deep  curve  inward  under  the 
shoulders.  But  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox's  figure  does  all 
these  things  even  when  she  stands  still,  and  a  great  many 
more  when  she  walks,  which  act  she  accomplishes  in  a 
grand,  s weepy  kind  of  a  way,  with  her  head  a  little  thrown 
back,  as  if  she  wants  everybody  to  know  that  she  is 
tremendously  important  in  the  scheme,  not  only  of  the 
world,  but  of  the  universe. 

Yet  in  spite  of  all,  in  the  end  it's  her  face  which  im 
presses  you  even  more  than  her  figure — which  is  a  real 
triumph,  as  the  figure  is  so  elaborate  and  successful.  On 
top  of  her  head  is  a  quite  little  coil  of  hair  that  lifts  itself, 
and  spirals  up,  like  a  giant  snail-shell.  A  dagger  keeps 
it  in  place,  and  looks  as  if  the  point  plunged  into  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay's  brain,  though  I  suppose  it  doesn't.  Over  the 
forehead  is  a  noble  roll  which  has  the  effect  of  a  breaker 
just  about  to  fall  into  surf,  but  never  falling.  It's  a 
black  breaker,  and  the  straight,  thick  eyebrows  an  inch 
below  it  are  black  too;  so  are  the  short  eyelashes,  also 
thick  and  straight,  like  a  stiff  fringe,  but  the  eyes  are 
grey — grey  as  glass,  though  not  transparent.  Sometimes 
they  seem  almost  white,  with  just  a  tiny  bead  of  black  for 
the  pupil.  I  never  saw  anything  so  hard  (except  the  glass 
marbles  I  used  to  play  with)  :  and  they  look  at  most  people 
as  if  something  behind  them  were  doing  a  mental  sum 
in  arithmetic,  for  the  Something's  own  advantage.  They 
don't  look  at  Mother  in  that  way;  no  eyes  in  the  world 
would  dare;  but  I'm  talking  about  ordinary  people,  who 
are  not  tall  white  arum  lilies,  with  the  air  of  having  grown 
in  kings'  gardens. 

Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox's  nose  is  well-shaped  and  rather 
large ;  so  is  her  mouth,  with  a  "  thin  red  line  "  of  lips ; 


14   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

but  somehow  it's  the  chin — the  feature  you  simply  take 
for  granted  and  hardly  remember  on  most  faces — which 
dominates  the  rest.  It  comes  rounding  out  under  her  lips, 
making  them  seem  to  recede,  though  they  don't  really; 
and  it's  square,  with  an  effect  of  the  skin  being  laid  on 
over  some  perfectly  hard  material,  like  marble,  or  the  same 
ivory  her  teeth  are  made  of.  Besides  all  this, — as  if  it 
weren't  enough — she's  a  widow;  one  of  those  women  who 
look  as  if  they  had  been  born  widows ;  anyway,  I'm  certain 
that  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  can  never  have  been  a  child. 

Sally  Woodburn's  chin  is  rather  full,  too.  I  wonder 
if,  in  spite  of  her  lazy  ways,  and  slow,  soft  speech,  she 
is  very  decided,  like  her  cousin,  who  is  so  much  older  and 
bigger,  and  apparently  able  to  make  the  gentle  little 
Southern  relative  do  as  she  wills? 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  terribly  glittering  this  evening  in  a  gown 
contrasting  strongly  with  our  simple  things,  was  almost 
too  nice  to  me,  saying  several  times  over  how  glad  she  was 
that  I  was  going  to  visit  her.  At  dinner,  she  painted 
word-pictures  of  the  "  good  times  "  she  would  give  me, 
and  though  I've  never  been  able  to  care  for  her,  and  don't 
a  bit  more  now,  I  began  to  be  rather  excited  by  her  talk, 
for  she  made  things  seem  so  interesting  and  new.  Besides, 
it  appears  that  Sally  Woodburn  will  be  at  Newport  most 
of  the  summer,  so  I  shall  have  her  to  fall  back  upon. 

As  for  me,  I  was  good  as  gold,  and  Vic  threw  me  ap 
proving  glances,  for  which  I  was  grateful,  for  I  like  being 
in  Vic's  good  graces.  She  doesn't  often  bother  with  me 
much,  but  when  she  does,  she  is  so  sweet  it  makes  up  for 
everything — and  she  knows  that  well. 

I  could  hardly  wait  to  hear  her  "  explanations,"  and  so 
I  was  glad  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  Miss  Woodburn  were 
hypnotised  by  Mother  into  thinking  they  wanted  to  go 
early  to  bed.  Mother  is  very  clever  about  such  things. 


ABOUT    BEING    BANISHED  15 

She  didn't  come  again  to  talk  to  me  in  my  room;  I 
suppose  she  thought  it  best  to  let  the  new  ideas  simmer. 
Anyhow,  she  sent  Thompson  away,  and  shut  the  door 
between  Vic's  room  and  hers  sooner  than  usual.  Presently 
Vic  slipped  quietly  in  to  me,  in  the  new  blue  dressing-gown 
which  was  to  have  been  mine,  only  when  she  saw  it  finished, 
she  wanted  it,  and  had  four  inches  taken  up  above  the 
hem. 

"  Well,  how  are  you  feeling  about  things  now  ?  "  she 
asked,  sitting  down  in  front  of  the  mirror,  with  her  hair 
brush  in  her  hand. 

"  I'll  tell  you  after  you've  told  me  why  I  ought  to  feel 
one  way  more  than  another,"  I  said  with  prudent  reserve. 

"  Then,  like  a  good  child,  brush  my  hair.  I  wouldn't 
let  Thompson  do  anything,  because  I  knew  you'd  be  dying 
to  have  me,  and  I  can  talk  so  beautifully  while  my  hair  is 
being  done.  It  makes  me  wish  I  were  a  pussy  cat,  so  that 
I  could  purr." 

"  I  hate  having  mine  touched  by  anyone,"  said  I. 

"  Well,  perhaps  I  should  hate  it  too,  if  mine  were  curly 
and  about  six  inches  thick,  and  came  down  to  my  knees ; 
I  should  be  afraid  of  being  pulled  to  pieces.  There! 
That's  heavenly.  [Well,  now  I  can  begin.  You  know, 
Baby,  this  isn't  a  quite  new  idea  about  your  going  to 
America.  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  did  say  something  on  the  sub 
ject  when  she  was  staying  here  before." 

"  Oh,  yes,  when  she  was  going  away  she  said  how  much 
she  would  like  to  have  either  of  us  visit  her.  Is  that  all?  " 

"  It's  something,  isn't  it?  Enough  to  make  a  handle 
of,  when  a  handle's  needed." 

"  But  why  is  a  handle  needed?  " 

"  I'm  going  to  tell  you  the  whole  truth  and  nothing 
but  the  truth.  Mother  had  a  letter  from  Sir  Gilbert  Man- 
tell  this  morning." 


16   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

"  Oh,  that  big,  splashy  crest  was  his,  then.  It  looked 
like  him,  now  I  come  to  think  of  it.  Nobody  but  a  brand- 
new  knight,  with  piles  and  piles  of  money,  would  need  one 
more  than  half  the  size." 

"  Don't  sneer  at  his  money,  my  good  child.  We  want  it 
badly  enough  in  this  family." 

"  Not  his." 

"  Yes,  we  do.  And  I  see  a  reasonable  prospect  of 
our  getting  it,  if  you'll  go  to  the  States  with  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay." 

"  What  can  that  have  to  do  with  it  ?  I  don't  know  one 
bit  what  you  mean." 

"  That's  because  you're  such  a  great  baby.  If  you  must 
have  every  t  crossed  and  every  i  dotted,  Sir  Gilbert  has 
apparently  conceived  a  patronising  toleration  for  your 
Victoria,  which  is  likely,  if  properly  fostered  and  en 
couraged,  to  develop  into  something  more  satisfactory." 

"  Patronising,  indeed !    That  dull  elephant !  " 

"  Elephants  are  not,  as  a  rule,  dull.  And  forty  thou 
sand  a  year  in  any  form  can  afford  to  patronise  a  daughter 
of  a  hundred  dukes  without  a  penny,  whereas  I'm  merely 
the  granddaughter  of  three.  In  fact,  my  dear,  I'm 
humbly  anxious  that  Sir  Gilbert  should  propose;  and  as 
he's  been  rather  nice,  and  as  he's  written  almost  asking  for 
an  invitation  to  come  down  with  Stan,  from  next  Saturday 
to  Monday,  although  he  carefully  states  he's  been  invited 
for  the  same  time,  by  Princess  Paul  of  Plon,  things  look 
hopeful.  The  only  trouble  is — you." 

"Me!" 

"  Yes,  you.  The  one  time  he  ever  saw  you,  was  when 
you  had  that  frightful  cold,  and  looked  hideous,  with 
your  poor  dear  nose  twice  its  size,  and  your  eyes  half 
theirs.  But— --well,  Betty,  you're  a  beauty,  and  I'm  not, 
though  I  do  flatter  myself  I'm  not  bad  looking.  I'm 


ABOUT    BEING    BANISHED  17 

'  penny  plain,'  and  you're  *  tuppence  coloured ' ;  and  the 
Mantell  man  can  afford  tuppence  for  a  wife.  You  are 
so  frightfully,  luridly  pretty  that  it's  almost  improper, 
and  if  he  comes  down  and  sees  you,  he'll  probably  think 
you  better  worth  his  money  than  I  am." 

"What  nonsense!  And  if  he  were  such  an  idiot,  of 
course  I  should  refuse  him." 

"  You  would.  That's  one  of  mother's  difficulties.  Even 
you  must  see  that  would  do  no  good  from  the  family 
point  of  view." 

"  I  could  keep  out  of  the  creature's  way." 

"  You  couldn't,  without  Stan  making  some  blundering 
remark,  or  some  contretemps  happening ;  it  would  be  sure 
to.  It's  much  safer  to  have  you  absolutely  out  of  the  way ; 
and  it  was  when  we  were  talking  it  over  this  morning,  that 
Mother  hit  upon  the  plan  of  sending  you  to  the  States. 
You  know  how  prompt  she  is,  once  she's  made  up  her 
mind?  Mother  is  really  a  wonderful  woman.  Twenty 
minutes  later  she  sent  a  telegram  to  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  asking 
her  to  come  down,  and  certain,  under  Providence,  that 
she  would;  for  an  intimate  sort  of  invitation  like  this, 
when  we're  alone  (especially  after  the  Great  Disappoint 
ment),  would  be  too  flattering  to  a  woman  of  that  type 
not  to  be  snapped  at,  no  matter  if  a  dozen  engagements 
had  to  be  trampled  in  the  dust." 

"  What  Great  Disappointment  are  you  talking  about  ?  " 

"  Infant  in  Arms !     Why,  Stan  and  Miss  Woodburn." 

"  I— didn't  know— nobody  told  me " 

"Fancy  needing  to  be  told!  As  if  that  weren't  the 
only  reason  why  Mother  smiled  on  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  in  the 
beginning.  It  was  because  she  thought  Miss  Woodburn 
might  do  for  Stanforth,  who  must  marry  money,  and  is 
too  poor,  horribly  poor,  to  be  much  of  a  catch  with  most 
English  heiresses,  who  aren't  as  keen  on  titles  as  they 


18   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

used  to  be,  unless  there's  some  solid  foundation  for  them 
to  stand  on,  and  not  wobble.  Everyone  says  Miss  Wood- 
burn's  a  great  heiress,  and  though  she's  a  few  years  older 
than  Stan,  she's  a  lady,  a  charming  creature,  and  not  bad 
looking.  Mother  thought  all  that  out,  the  day  they  were 
introduced  to  her  at  the  Northminster's  concert,  so  she  in 
vited  them  here.  But  Stan  and  the  Woodburn  wouldn't 
look  at  each  other.  It  was  useless  even  for  Mother's  genius 
to  attempt  the  impossible,  so  she  resigned  herself  to  the  in 
evitable,  and  gave  the  thing  up.  She  meant  to  drop  the 
Americans  gently — which  she  could  easily  do  as  they  were 
going  home  soon — when  this  new  idea  popped  up.  It's 
really  important  for  me,  dear.  I  do  want  you  to  see  that. 
It  will  be  so  much  better  all  around  if  you  are  out  of  the 
way,  anyhow  until  I'm  safely  engaged,  and  the  wedding- 
day  fixed.  Then,  you  know,  if  you  haven't  meanwhile 
picked  up  an  American  millionaire  on  the  other  side — 
don't  look  so  horrified! — Mother  will  be  able  to  devote 
herself  to  you,  heart  and  soul,  as  she  has  to  me.  Next 
spring  you  can  be  presented " 

"  Don't  bribe,"  I  said,  feeling  as  if  I  wanted  to  cry. 
"  If  you  want  to  get  rid  of  me,  I'll  go  without  that.  But 
I  should  have  thought  I  might  be  sent  again  to  Aunt 
Sophy's." 

"  Not  again  till  our  magnificent  cousin's  safely  married. 
She  wouldn't  have  you  there.  Remember  how  she  sent 
you  home,  last  time.  Poor  Loveland !  He  too,  must  think 
about  collecting  honest  gold  (somebody  else's),  to  brighten 
up  his  coronet.  We're  a  poverty-stricken  lot,  my  child, 
and  it's  for  me,  with  your  help,  to  retrieve  the  fallen 
fortunes  of  this  branch  of  the  family." 

"  That's  settled  then,"  said  I,  as  drily  as  I  could  with 
wet  tears  in  the  background.  "  And  now,  let's  go  to  bed, 
please.  I'm  sleepy." 


ABOUT    BEING    BANISHED  19 

I  wasn't;  but  my  eyes  were  hot,  and  there  was  a  lump 
in  my  throat.  I  was  homesick — dreadfully  homesick,  for 
something — I  don't  know  what,  but  it  seemed  to  be  some 
thing  I've  never  had  yet  and  probably  never  can  have. 
That  is  why  I  wanted  to  be  alone,  and  write  everything 
down  exactly  as  it  has  happened. 


II 

ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER 

ONLY  ten  days  have  passed,  but  I  feel  as  if  they 
were  a  hundred,   I  have  lived  so  much.     I've 
heard  people  near  me  in  deck-chairs  saying  that 
it's  been  a  "  dull  voyage,"  but  whatever  else  it 
has  been  for  me,  it  hasn't  been  dull. 

In  the  first  place,  I've  never  been  on  the  sea  before,  ex 
cept  crossing  the  Channel,  which  doesn't  count,  of  course. 
And  now  that  I've  been  thrown  with  so  many  people — all 
sorts  of  people — I  realise  how  few  I  have  known  in  my 
life,  so  far.  If  I  had  about  twice  as  many  fingers  and 
toes  as  I  have,  I  believe  I  might  tick  off  every  human 
being  I've  ever  met  as  actual  acquaintances,  outside  my 
own  relations. 

I've  lived  always  at  dear,  beautiful  old  Battlemead  (it 
seems  doubly  beautiful  as  I  think  of  it  now,  from  far 
away)  ;  and  till  last  year  most  of  my  time  was  spent  in  the 
schoolroom,  or  walking,  or  pottering  about  in  a  pony  car 
riage  with  one  of  the  governesses  I  used  to  drive  to  dis 
traction.  When  we  had  house  parties  I  was  kept  out  of 
the  way,  as  Mother  said  it  spoiled  young  girls  to  be  taken 
notice  of,  and  I  should  have  my  fun  later.  When  the 
others  went  up  to  town  for  the  Season,  as  they  often  did,  I 
was  left  behind,  and  though  Battlemead  is  within  five-and- 
twenty  miles  of  London,  I  suppose  I  haven't  been  there 
more  than  two  dozen  times  in  my  life.  When  I  did  go,  it 
was  generally  for  a  concert,  or  a  matinee,  and,  of  course,  I 
enjoyed  it  immensely;  but  I  don't  know  that  it  taught  me 


ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER  21 

much  about  life.  And  the  one  time  I  was  taken  abroad  we 
had  nothing  to  do  with  anyone  we  met  at  hotels.  Being  on 
this  big  ship  seemed  at  first  exactly  like  being  at  a  play 
when  I  had  been  brought  in  late,  and  found  it  difficult  to 
know  which  were  the  leading  actors,  which  the  villains  and 
villainesses,  and  what  the  plot  was  about. 

Now,  though,  I've  been  through  so  many  experiences, 
I  feel  as  if  I  were  in  the  play  myself,  not  watching  it  from 
outside. 

Everything  was  very  nice,  though  very  strange,  to  begin 
with. 

Dear  old  Stan  came  out  of  his  shell  and  actually  trav 
elled  all  the  way  to  Southampton  to  see  me  off,  which  was 
good  of  him,  especially  as  Vic  explained  that  he  and 
Sally  Woodburn  had  been  thrown  at  each  other's  heads,  in 
vain. 

He'd  brought  me  a  great  box  of  sweets,  a  bunch  of 
roses,  and  several  magazines;  and  just  as  we  were  starting 
he  slipped  something  small  but  fat  into  my  hand. 

"  That's  to  help  you  keep  your  end  up,  Kid,  in  case 
you're  imposed  on,"  said  he.  "  You  are  only  a  kid,  you 
know;  but  all  the  same,  don't  let  them  treat  you  like  one, 
and  if  you  get  the  hump  over  there,  just  you  cable  me. 
I'll  see  you  through,  and  have  you  back  again  with  your 
own  sort,  Mater  or  no  Mater,  hanged  if  I  don't." 

Stan  never  made  me  such  a  long  speech  before,  and  after 
we  sailed  and  I  got  time  to  look  at  the  fat  thing  he'd  put 
in  my  hand,  I  found  it  was  a  lot  of  goldpieces  bundled  up 
in  two  ten-pound  notes.  The  gold  made  twelve  sovereigns 
more,  so  Stan  had  given  me  altogether  more  than  thirty 
pounds.  All  that  money,  with  the  twenty  pounds  Mother 
had  told  me  to  use  only  "  when  strictly  necessary,"  made 
me  feel  a  regular  millionaire.  I've  never  had  a  sixth  part 
as  much  before,  in  my  life. 


22   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

Stan's  kindness  was  just  like  a  cup  of  something  warm 
and  comforting  when  you're  tired  and  cold,  so  that  I  began 
to  brighten  up  and  feel  happy. 

I  liked  our  suite,  with  two  staterooms,  a  bath,  and  a 
dear  little  white-and-blue  drawing-room,  about  as  big  as 
the  old  dolls'  house  I  inherited  from  Vic.  I  was  thankful 
to  find  I  was  to  chum  with  Miss  Woodburn,  not  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay,  for  I  never  could  have  stood  that.  It  was  fun  find 
ing  places  to  hang  up  our  things  when  they  were  un 
packed,  and  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  French  maid,  Louise,  helped 
me  get  settled,  paying  me  so  many  compliments  on  my 
hair,  and  my  eyes  and  my  complexion,  that  I  grew  quite 
confused;  but  perhaps  that's  a  habit  in  which  American 
ladies  encourage  their  maids. 

"  But  the  marvel  that  is  Miladi's  hair !  It  is  of  the 
colour  of  gold,  and  with  a  natural  curl.  It  will  be  so 
great  a  joy  if  I  may  dress  it.  And  her  complexion!  It 
is  beyond  that  of  any  English  demoiselle  I  have  seen,  yet 
all  the  world  knows  they  are  the  best  on  earth.  With 
such  eyes,  no  doubt  Miladi  can  wear  any  colour;  and  she 
has  the  figure  for  which  the  make  of  corsets  is  of  no  im 
port." 

If  it  had  been  in  English,  I  should  have  wanted  to 
order  her  out  of  the  room;  but  things  like  that  don't 
sound  so  objectionable  in  French. 

Miss  Woodburn's,  and  especially  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  clothes 
looked  so  exquisite  that  I  was  mortified  to  have  Louise 
unpack  mine,  though  I  have  brought  my  smartest  things, 
and  Vic  had  two  or  three  pretty  blouses  of  hers  altered 
in  a  great  hurry,  for  me.  Besides,  Mother  said  my  outfit 
was  quite  good  enough  for  a  young  girl  in  England,  and 
that  I  was  not  to  let  myself  feel  dissatisfied  if  in  another 
country  they  chose  to  overdress. 

Anyhow,  I  will  say  for  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  that  she  didn't 


ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER  23 

appear  to  be  ashamed  of  me  at  first.  On  the  contrary, 
she  had  a  way  of  seeming  to  show  me  off,  almost  as  if  she 
thought  I  did  her  credit. 

When  we  had  unpacked,  we  three  went  to  luncheon,  and 
took  the  first  seats  which  were  vacant.  But  presently 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay  sent  for  the  chief  steward  or  someone  im 
portant.  "  I  am  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox,"  said  she,  in  a 
haughty  voice,  "  and  I  have  as  my  guest  Lady  Betty 
Bulkeley,  daughter  of  the  Duchess  of  Stanforth.  You 
must  give  me  three  of  the  best  seats  at  the  Captain's 
table." 

I  couldn't  help  hearing,  and  my  ears  did  tingle,  but 
Miss  Woodburn  only  smiled  and  looked  down,  with  a  funny 
twinkle  under  her  eyelashes,  which  curl  up  so  much  that 
it  always  seems  as  if  she  were  just  going  to  laugh. 

I  thought,  if  I  were  the  steward,  I  would  give  us  the 
worst  seats  on  the  ship,  to  teach  us  not  to  be  proud;  but 
he  didn't  do  anything  of  the  sort;  he  was  as  meek  as  a 
lamb,  so  I'm  sure  he  can't  have  any  sense  of  humour.  He 
said  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  might  count  on  him,  and  she 
and  her  party  should  have  places  on  the  Captain's  right 
hand. 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay  was  as  bad  with  the  deck  steward.  She 
found  that  he  hadn't  put  our  chairs  (which  she  had 
brought  on  board  herself)  in  the  right  place,  and  she  had 
him  called  up  and  made  a  great  fuss.  The  cards  of  a 
Reverend  Somebody,  his  wife  and  daughters,  were  on 
chairs  in  the  position  which  she  had  made  up  her  mind 
to  have,  exactly  amidship  and  on  the  shady  side. 

"  I  must  have  my  chairs  changed  and  put  here,"  she 
said.  And  then — oh,  horror! — I'm  certain  I  caught  her 
repeating  the  formula  she'd  used  at  luncheon.  "  I  am 
Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox,  and  I  have  as  my  guest,  etc,  etc." 
To  be  sure,  she  had  walked  off  to  a  little  distance  with  the 


24   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

deck-steward,  where  our  chairs  were,  and  I  might  have 
been  mistaken ;  but  two  or  three  people  who  were  standing 
near  looked  suddenly  very  hard  at  me,  and  I  know  I 
turned  scarlet  with  annoyance,  to  be  labelled  in  that  way, 
as  if  I  \vere  a  parcel  marked  "  glass  "  and  to  be  handled 
with  care. 

Afterwards,  when  I  came  to  read  the  passenger-list, 
I  found  that  there  was  nobody  else  on  board  with  any  sort 
of  title,  not  even  an  Honourable  Anybody ;  otherwise,  of 
course,  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  little  manoeuvre  (which  I'm  afraid 
must  have  been  meant  for  snobbishness)  wouldn't  have  ex 
cited  the  slightest  notice. 

"  Now,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  when  we  were  settled  in  our 
places,  "  I  know  a  good  many  people  on  the  ship,  but  most 
of  them  are  Nobodies,  and  I  do  not  intend  to  be  troubled 
with  them,  nor  do  I  think  that  the  Duchess  would  care  to 
have  me  let  Betty  mix  herself  up  with  anybody  and  every 
body.  I  shall  do  a  great  deal  of  weeding  and  select  her 
acquaintances  carefully." 

"  Betty,"  indeed !  I'd  never  told  her  that  she  might 
call  me  Betty ;  and  I  hate  having  persons  I  don't  care  for 
take  hold  of  my  name,  without  using  a  handle  to  touch  it. 
It  makes  me  feel  as  I  did  when  I  was  a  child,  and  Mother 
commanded  me  to  let  myself  be  kissed  by  unkissable  and 
extraneous  grown-ups. 

Thank  goodness,  Vic  and  I  have  come  into  the  world 
with  something  of  poor  Father's  sense  of  humour.  My 
share  often  serves  me  as  well  as  balm  on  a  wound,  or  as 
a  nice,  dry,  crackly  little  biscuit  which  you're  enchanted 
to  find  when  you're  hungry,  and  thought  you  had  noth 
ing  to  eat;  and  I  got  a  good  deal  of  quiet  comfort 
out  of  it  during  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  "  weeding "  process, 
which  otherwise  would  have  done  nothing  but  make  me 
sguirm. 


ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER  25 

When  we  had  been  on  deck  for  a  short  time,  a  number 
of  people  came  up  to  speak  to  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  and  some  to 
Miss  Woodburn.  The  water  was  as  smooth  as  the  floor 
of  a  ballroom  when  it's  been  well  waxed  for  a  dance,  and 
there  was  no  excuse  for  the  most  sensitive  person  to  be 
ill;  consequently  the  deck  was  something  like  a  kaleido 
scope,  with  all  its  moving  groups  of  men  and  women,  girls 
and  children.  Most  of  the  best-looking  and  best-dressed 
ones  were  Americans,  and  a  great  many  seemed  to  know 
each  other.  Some  of  them  laughed  a  good  deal,  and 
talked  in  high  voices,  putting  emphasis  on  prepositions, 
which  Miss  Mackinstry  and  the  others  would  never  let 
me  do  in  writing  compositions.  Somehow,  though,  when 
these  people  spoke  it  sounded  very  nice  and  cordial,  more 
so  than  it  does  when  English  people  greet  each  other, 
though  the  voices  weren't  so  sweet — except  a  lew  that 
drawled  in  a  pretty,  Southern  way,  like  Sally  Wood- 
burn's.  v 

I  could  tell  which  were  the  poor  things  that  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay  wanted  to  weed  out  of  her  acquaintance-garden  for 
next  season,  by  the  way  she  acted  when  they  came  to  say 
"  How  do  you  do  ?  "  to  her.  She  screwed  up  her  eyes  till 
they  looked  hard  and  sharp  enough  to  go  through  you 
like  a  thin  knife — (or  more  like  a  long,  slender  hatpin 
jabbing  your  head),  and  having  waited  an  instant  before 
returning  their  greeting,  slowly  answered ;  "  Very  well, 
thank  you.  Yes,  I  am  going  home  rather  early.  I'm  due 
at  Newport  as  soon  as  possible  " ;  then  fingered  her  open 
book  (which  she  hadn't  peeped  into  before)  and  made  a 
little,  just  noticeable  gesture  with  her  lorgnette. 

Then  the  poor  people  were  too  much  crushed  to  stop 
and  try  to  talk  to  Miss  Woodburn,  though  she  always 
looked  at  them  sweetly,  as  if  she  would  make  up  for  her 
cousin  being  a  dragon  if  she  could. 


26   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

By  and  by,  somebody  else  would  sail  up,  perhaps  not 
half  as  nice  to  look  at  as  the  one  who  had  gone.  But  lo, 
Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  would  be  suddenly  transformed. 
She  would  smile,  and  hold  out  her  hand.  To  their  "  How 
DO  you  do  ?  "  she  would  respond  "  How  do  YOU  do  ?  "  and 
though  I  don't  think  she's  really  much  interested  in  any 
one  but  herself,  she  would  ask  where  they  had  been,  what 
they  had  been  doing,  and  how  it  happened  they  were  going 
back  so  soon.  The  next  thing,  she  would  say  to  me: 
"  Betty,  dear,  I  should  like  you  and  Mrs.  or  Mr.  So-and-So 
to  know  each  other,  as  I  hope  you'll  meet  again,  while 
you're  staying  with  me.  Lady  Betty  Bulkeley,  etc.,  etc. 
I  wonder  if  you  have  ever  met  her  brother,  the  Duke  of 
Stanforth,  and  her  cousin,  the  Marquis  of  Loveland,  over 
in  London?  " 

Loveland  would  have  had  a  fit  if  he  could  have  heard 
her,  for,  of  course,  at  home  only  the  lower  middle  classes 
and  such  people  hurl  a  Marquis's  title  at  his  head  in  that 
fashion;  but  I  suppose  foreigners,  unless  they've  been  in 
England  a  long  time,  don't  know  the  difference. 

When  I  got  a  chance,  I  asked  Sally  Woodburn  how  Mrs. 
Stuyvesant-Knox  made  her  distinctions  in  snubbing  some 
people  and  preening  herself  to  others. 

"  My  deah,"  said  Sally  (I'm  to  call  her  "  Sally  "  now; 
it's  been  understood  between  us  for  some  time) ,  "  my  deah, 
you're  a  poor,  innocent  child,  and  I  reckon  you've  been 
brought  up  in  darkness,  without  even  so  much  as  hearing 
of  the  Four  Hundred." 

"  What  are  the  Four  Hundred  ?  Are  they  a  kind  of 
Light  Brigade,  like  the  Six  Hundred?  "  I  asked.  "  Or  is 
it  a  sort  of  governing  body  like — like  the  Council  of 
Three?" 

She  laughed  so  much  at  this,  with  her  charming,  velvety 
laugh,  that  I  grew  quite  nervous,  for  it's  embarrassing 


ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER  27 

to  have  said  something  funny  when  you've  meant  to  be 
rather  intelligent.  But  soon  she  took  pity  on  me.  "  You 
perfect  love,"  she  said ;  "  that's  really  too  sweet.  It 
deserves  to  be  put  into  Life,  or  something.  And  yet 
you're  not  so  far  wrong,  when  one  comes  to  think  of  it. 
The  Four  Hundred  is  a  kind  of  governing  body;  only  I 
believe  it's  really  reduced  to  Two  Hundred  now.  They 
govern  New  York;  and  Newport;  and  Lennox;  and  Bar 
Harbour;  and  several  other  places  which  are  considered 
very  nice  and  important." 

"  Oh !  Are  they  Republicans  or  Democrats  ?  "  I  en 
quired,  sure  that  I  really  was  being  intelligent  at  last,  for 
I'd  heard  Stan  say  that,  in  America,  the  Republican  party 
was  rather  like  our  Conservatives,  and  the  Democrats  like 
the  Liberals ;  and  I'd  remembered  because  I  believe  I  should 
be  very  much  interested  in  politics  if  only  I  understood 
more  about  them.  But  Sally  seemed  to  think  that  question 
funny,  too. 

"  They  can  be  either,  my  poor  lamb,"  she  exclaimed ; 
"  and  they  can  be  almost  anything  else  they  like,  if  only 
they're  just  awfully,  dreadfully  rich,  and  can  manage  to 
scrape  up  a  family  crest.  It  used  to  be  the  crest  that 
counted,  with  the  man  who  invented  the  Four  Hundred; 
but  since  his  day,  that  idea  has  got  buried  under  heaps 
and  heaps  of  gold,  and  pearls  and  diamonds;  especially 
pearls.  In  those  places  I  was  telling  you  about,  you  don't 
exist  unless  you're  in  the  Four  Hundred,  which  is  now 
being  sifted  down  to  Two  Hundred,  and  will  probably  be 
Seventy-five  in  a  year  or  two.  You  may  have  the  bluest 
blood  in  America  in  your  veins ;  you  may  be  simply  smeared 
with  ancestors,  but  if  you  haven't  managed  to  push  for 
ward  in  a  clever,  indescribable  way,  neither  they  nor  you 
will  ever  be  noticed,  and  your  grey  hairs  will  go  down  to 
the  grave  in  the  Wrong  Set.  Now  do  you  understand 


28      LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

why  my  cousin  Katherine  makes  narrow  eyes  for  some 
people,  and  broad  smiles  for  others  ?  " 

"  Ye-es,  I  suppose  I  do,"  I  answered.  "  Only — we  are 
quite  different  at  home.  I  haven't  been  about  at  all  yet, 
but  I  know ;  because  some  things  are  in  the  air.  How  did 
Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  ever  have  the  poor  Wrong  Setters 
for  acquaintances,  though?  " 

"  Because  (she'd  kill  me  if  she  heard  this)  she  has  only 
lately  got  into  the  Right  Set  herself,  and  after  trouble 
enough  to  give  an  ordinary  woman  nervous  prostration. 
That  kind  of  thing  does  give  it  to  a  lot  of  women — 
especially  if  they  fail.  But  Cousin  Katherine  very  seldom 
fails.  She  almost  always  carries  things  through.  If  you 
knew  anything  about  America  in  general,  and  New  York 
in  particular,  you'd  be  able  to  realise  what  a  hard  time 
she's  had,  when  I  tell  you  that  till  her  husband  died  she 
lived  west  of  Chicago.  To  get  into  the  Four  Hundred  if 
you've  lived  west  of  Chicago,  (unless  you're  Californian, 
which  is  getting  to  be  fashionable),  is  just  like  having  to 
climb  over  one  of  those  great,  high  walls  of  yours  in  Eng 
land,  bristling  with  nails  or  broken  glass." 

"  My  goodness !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  How  funny !  Fancy 
if  people  who  live  in  Surrey  should  glare  at  people  who  live 
in  Devonshire." 

"  That's  different.    You  see,  Chicago  is  new." 

"  But  so  is  all  America,  isn't  it  ?  "  I  asked,  stupidly. 
"  What  difference  can  a  hundred  or  so  years  make?  " 

"  We  haven't  begun  to  think  in  centuries  yet,  on  our 
side  of  the  water,  my  deah."  (She  has  the  most  delicious 
way  of  saying  "  my  deah,"  and  all  her  "  r's  "  are  soft  like 
that ;  only  it's  too  much  trouble  to  write  them  for  nobody 
but  myself  to  see.)  "  Anyhow,  it  is  so,  between  New  York 
and  Chicago  people — that  is,  the  people  who  count  in 
Society,  with  a  big  S :  and  it  was  a  great  triumph  for  my 


ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER  29 

cousin  to  become  the  Three-Hundred-and-Ninety-Ninth 
in  the  Four  Hundred.  She  did  it  by  buying  a  Russian 
Prince." 

"  Buying  a " 

"  Yes,  love,  he  was  going  to  the  highest  bidder,  and  she 
bought  him.  That  is,  she  entertained  him  so  gorgeously 
and  did  so  many  nice  things  for  him,  that  he  posed  as  her 
property ;  and  as  everyone  was  dying  to  meet  him,  it  made 
her.  She'd  been  working  killingly  hard  before  that,  for 
a  whole  year  after  taking  her  house  on  Fifth  Avenue  and 
building  her  cottage  at  Newport,  but  it  was  buying  the 
Prince  which  did  the  trick.  On  the  strength  of  that 
episode  and  its  consequences,  she  went  to  Europe  with 
very  nice  introductions,  and  as  you  know,  deah,  she  has 
made  some  valuable  as  well  as  pleasant  friends.  To  live 
up  to  them  and  her  reputation,  she  will  have  to  be  busy 
for  a  while  dropping  a  lot  of  old  acquaintances." 

"  How  horrid ! "  I  couldn't  help  exclaiming,  though 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay  was  going  to  be  my  hostess. 

"  Yes,  it  seems  rather  miserable  to  me,  because  I'm  a 
weak,  lazy,  Southern  thing,  who  would  be  right  down  sick, 
if  I  had  to  hurt  any  human  being's  feelings.  Yet  perhaps 
it  looks  fair  to  her.  She's  so  ambitious,  and  she's  worked 
so  hard,  she  has  deserved  to  succeed.  As  for  poor  me,  she 
just  regularly  mesmerises  me  all  through.  She  mesmer 
ised  me  into  coming  up  from  Kentucky  and  visiting  her 
this  spring;  then  she  mesmerised  me  into  going  with  her 
to  Europe.  But  I'm  not  sorry  I  went,  for  I've  had  a  right 
good  time." 

"  I'm  so  glad  you  went,"  said  I,  "  because  if  you  hadn't 
I  shouldn't  have  met  you.  I'm  sure  I  should  love  Ken 
tucky  if  all  the  people  there  are  like  you.  But  these 
things  you've  been  saying  seem  so  odd.  Do  you  mean  to 
tell  me  that  the  people  who  lead  Society  in  New  York  want 


30   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

to  keep  their  set  limited  to  a  certain  number,  and  refuse 
to  know  others,  even  if  they're  extraordinarily  clever  and 
interesting  ? 

"  They  don't  like  them  to  be  too  clever,  because  they 
call  such  people  *  queer ' — that  is,  unless  they  happen 
to  be  *  lions  '  of  some  sort  from  England  or  other  places 
abroad.  Then,  so  long  as  they're  not  American,  they  wel 
come  them  with  open  arms." 

"  I'm  glad  Society  isn't  like  that  in  England,"  I  said. 
"  There  the  real  people — the  people  who  have  the  right 
to  make  social  laws,  you  know — are  delighted  with  any 
one  who  can  amuse  them.  Of  course,  deep  down  in  our 
hearts,  we  may  be  proud  if  we  have  old  names,  which  have 
been  famous  for  hundreds  of  years  in  one  way  or  another ; 
but  we  are  so  used,  after  all  those  centuries,  to  being  sure 
of  ourselves,  that  we  just  take  our  position  for  granted, 
and  don't  think  much  more  about  it.  If  people  who 
haven't  got  quite  the  same  position  are  gentlefolk,  and 
amusing,  or  clever,  or  beautiful,  or  anything  like  that 
which  really  matters,  why,  we're  only  too  pleased  with 
them." 

"  That's  all  the  difference  in  the  world !  You've  been 
6  sure  of  yourselves  for  centuries,'  You've  said  the  last 
word,  my  deah.  '  Out  of  the  mouths  of  babes  ' — but, 
Cousin  Katherine's  finished  gushing  to  that  silly  old  Mrs. 
Van  der  Windt.  We  mustn't  dare  discuss  these  things 
from  our  point  of  view  any  more.  I  reckon  she  would 
faint." 

There  are  a  good  many  young  men  on  board,  and  some 
of  them  seemed  to  be  quite  devoted  to  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  the 
first  day  out;  but  she  was  cold  to  them  all,  I  couldn't 
think  why,  as  some  of  them  seemed  very  nice,  and  she 
had  always  appeared  rather  to  like  being  with  men.  I 
asked  Sally  about  it,  but  she  laughed,  and  said  I  might 


ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER  31 

perhaps  solve  the  mystery  for  myself  when  we  were  at 
Newport,  if  I  remembered  it  then. 

I  never  heard  of  such  breakfasts  and  luncheons  as  they 
have  on  this  ship,  and  the  first  menu  I  saw  surprised  me 
so  much,  that  I  couldn't  believe  they  really  had  and  could 
produce  all  those  things  if  anybody  was  inconsiderate 
enough  to  ask  for  them.  I  hardly  supposed  there  were  so 
many  things  to  eat  in  the  world.  But  the  captain  heard 
me  exclaiming  to  Sally,  so  he  smiled,  and  told  me  to  test 
the  menu  by  ordering  a  bit  of  everything  on  it;  he'd 
guarantee  that  nothing  would  be  missed  out.  This  was 
at  breakfast  the  second  day;  and  when  he  saw  that  I  ate 
several  dear  little  round  things,  shaped  like  cream-coloured 
doyleys,  which  are  called  pancakes  (though  they  aren't 
a  bit  like  ours)  with  some  perfectly  divine  stuff  named 
maple  syrup,  he  said  my  taking  such  a  fancy  to  American 
products  was  a  sign  that  I  should  marry  an  American. 
What  nonsense!  As  if  I  would  dream  of  marrying,  es 
pecially  a  foreigner.  But  for  all  that,  pancakes  and 
maple  syrup  are  delicious.  I've  had  them  every  day  since 
for  breakfast,  after  finishing  a  great  orange  four  times 
the  natural  size,  which  isn't  really  an  orange,  because  it's 
a  grape  fruit.  You  have  it  on  your  plate  cut  in  two 
halves,  with  ice  in  each,  and  you  scoop  the  inside  out 
of  a  lot  of  tiny  pockets,  with  a  teaspoon.  You  think 
when  you  first  see  it,  that  you  can't  eat  more  than  half; 
but  instead,  you  eat  every  bit,  and  sometimes  if  the  morn 
ing  is  hot,  you  even  wish  you  could  have  more ;  though  of 
course  you  wouldn't  be  so  greedy  as  to  ask. 

It  was  on  the  second  day  out,  too,  that  all  my  troubles 
began — and  in  a  queer  way  which  nobody  could  have 
guessed  would  lead  to  anything  disagreeable. 

In  the  afternoon  I  was  reading  in  my  deck-chair,  drawn 
close  to  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  side,  when  that  Mrs.  Van  der 


32   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

Windt  whom  Sally  called  a  silly  old  thing,  toddled  up  and 
spoke  to  us.  "  Do  come  and  watch  them  dancing  in  the 
steerage,"  she  said.  "  It's  such  fun." 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay  likes  sitting  still  on  shipboard  better 
than  anything  else,  but  it  seems  that  Mrs.  Van  der  Windt 
is  so  important  that  if  all  the  Four  Hundred  Sally  told 
me  about  were  pruned  away,  except  about  twenty-five, 
she  would  be  among  the  number  left;  so  probably  that  is 
the  reason  why  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  takes  long  walks  up  and 
down  the  deck  with  her,  though  it  makes  her  giddy 
to  walk,  and  Mrs.  Van  der  Windt  is  not  in  the  least 
entertaining. 

She  got  up  now,  like  a  lamb  about  to  be  led  to  the 
slaughter,  except  that  she  smiled  bravely,  which  the  lamb 
would  not  be  able  to  bring  itself  to  do.  "  Come,  Betty," 
she  said  to  me,  "  it  will  amuse  you." 

"  Yes,  do  come,  Lady  Betty,"  repeated  Mrs.  Van  der 
Windt;  whereupon  I  obeyed,  little  knowing  what  I  was 
laying  up  for  myself. 

Our  deck  is  amidships.  Aft,  on  a  level  with  ours,  is  the 
second-class  deck;  and  for'rard,  down  below,  like  looking 
into  a  pit,  is  the  steerage.  We  walked  to  the  rail,  over 
which  quite  a  number  of  men  were  leaning,  to  see  what  was 
going  on,  and  several  moved  aside  to  give  us  room.  I 
didn't  like  to  take  their  places  away,  especially  as  they 
were  laughing  and  enjoying  themselves,  and  I  could  hear 
the  sound  of  dance  music  coming  up  from  below  (such  odd- 
sounding  music !),  but  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  murmured  to  me  that 
I  mustn't  refuse.  "  American  men  are  never  so  happy," 
she  said,  "  as  when  they're  giving  up  something  for  a 
woman.  They're  used  to  it." 

And  evidently  she,  as  an  American  woman,  was  used 
to  taking  it.  She  and  Mrs.  Van  der  Windt  slipped  into 
the  vacant  spaces  with  a  bare  "  thank  you,"  and  I  had  to 


ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER  33 

follow  their  example.  We  peered  down  over  the  rail ;  and 
there  was  a  sight  which  would  have  been  comical,  if  it 
hadn't  been  pathetic. 

On  rather  a  rough-looking  deck,  about  twelve  feet  or 
more  below  us,  a  dense  crowd  was  collected  round  two 
small  squares,  which  they  purposely  left  open.  Besides 
those  little  squares,  every  inch  was  occupied.  There 
wouldn't  have  been  any  more  room  for  even  a  baby  to  sit 
down  than  there  was  in  the  Black  Hole  of  Calcutta.  In 
the  crowd  were  old  men,  young  men  and  boys,  all  poorly 
dressed;  and  old  women,  young  women  and  girls,  big  and 
little.  They  wore  crude,  vivid  colours,  and  more  than 
half  of  them  had  bright  handkerchiefs  tied  over  their 
heads.  They  scarcely  took  any  notice  of  the  first-class 
passengers  staring  down  superciliously  or  pityingly  at 
their  poor  amusements ;  they  were  far  too  much  absorbed 
in  the  dancing  which  was  going  on  busily — I  can't  say 
gaily — in  the  two  hollow  squares.  In  one  of  these  an  el 
derly,  pinched  little  man  who  looked  almost  half-witted, 
was  monotonously  scraping  a  battered  fiddle,  for  two 
solemn  couples  to  dance  round  and  round,  always  on  the 
same  axis.  But  the  other  "  dancing  salon  "  was  more 
lively.  There  a  man  dressed  like  a  buffoon,  with  a  tall  hat, 
a  lobster  claw  for  a  nose,  a  uniform  with  big  red  flannel 
epaulettes  and  pasteboard  buttons  covered  with  gold  paper, 
was  pretending  to  conduct  the  band.  And  what  a  band 
it  was ! 

It  consisted  of  four  sailors,  rather  sheep-faced  and  self- 
conscious.  One  musical  instrument  was  a  wooden  box 
rigged  up  with  strings  and  a  long  handle;  another  was 
formed  from  a  couple  of  huge  soup-spoons  tied  together, 
on  which  the  player  beat  rhythmically  with  a  smaller 
spoon;  the  third  was  a  poker,  dangling  from  a  string, 
banged  heartily  with  an  enormous  nail  as  it  swung  to  and 


34   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

fro;  the  fourth  was  a  queer,  home-made  drum,  which 
looked  as  if  it  had  been  made  out  of  a  wooden  bandbox. 

Somehow  they  contrived  to  coax  out  music  of  a  sort,  and 
a  few  young  men  and  girls  were  solemnly  gyrating  to  it 
in  a  way  to  make  you  giddy  even  to  watch.  When  a  man 
thought  he  had  had  enough,  or  wanted  to  dance  with 
another  girl,  he  dropped  his  partner  with  alarming  sud 
denness,  bowed  stiffly  without  smile  or  word,  and  left  her 
plantc  la.  It  was  evidently  etiquette  not  to  speak  to  your 
partner.  At  the  end  of  a  dance,  the  conductor  with  the 
lobster-claw  nose  looked  up  to  our  deck,  bowing  low  with 
his  hand  on  his  heart,  and  then  all  the  audience  leaning 
over  the  rail  began  fumbling  in  their  pockets  if  they  were 
men,  or  opening  their  purses  or  gold  bags  if  they  were 
women.  Down  poured  a  shower  of  small  silver  and  copper, 
little  boys  scrambling  to  pick  it  up,  and  hand  it  to  the  con 
ductor,  who  would,  Mrs.  Van  der  Windt  said,  divide  the 
money  among  the  members  of  his  quaint  band. 

I  had  a  few  shillings  with  me,  and  I'd  been  so  much 
amused  that  I  felt  like  being  generous.  Luckily,  Mother 
couldn't  see  me,  and  scold!  I  took  half  a  dozen  coins — 
shillings  and  sixpences — and  wrapping  them  hurriedly  up 
in  half  the  cover  torn  off  a  magazine  I  was  reading,  I 
aimed  the  little  parcel  to  fall  at  the  comic  conductor's  feet. 

Generally  I  can  throw  fairly  straight,  for  Stan  took 
some  pains  with  that  part  of  my  education  when  I  was  a 
small  girl;  but  just  at  that  instant  someone  standing  next 
me  moved,  knocked  me  on  the  elbow,  and  spoilt  my  aim. 

Instead  of  falling  in  front  of  Mr.  Lobster-Claw,  the 
parcel  hit  the  ear  of  a  very  tall  young  man  among  the 
crowd  below,  who  had  been  standing  with  his  back  to  me. 
He  turned  quickly,  not  knowing  what  had  happened, 
glanced  up  and  caught  my  eyes,  as  I  was  looking  down 
quite  distressed. 


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ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER  35 

I  had  noticed  his  figure  in  the  crush,  because  he  towered 
nearly  a  head  over  everyone  else,  and  I  had  a  dim  impres 
sion  that  he  had  good  shoulders ;  but  seeing  his  face  gave 
me  a  great  surprise. 

It  was  as  different  from  all  the  rest  of  the  steerage 
faces  as  day  is  from  night,  and  somehow  it  gave  me  quite 
a  shock  that  such  a  man  should  be  among  those  others,  as 
if  something  must  be  wrong  with  the  world,  or  it  could 
not  happen.  I  had  even  a  guilty  sort  of  thrill,  as  if  I 
had  no  right  to  be  well-dressed  and  prosperous,  staring  at 
him  and  his  companions  as  though  they  were  a  show  which 
we  others  paid  to  see — daring  to  amuse  ourselves  with  the 
hard,  strange  conditions  of  their  lives. 

I've  heard  Mother  say  that  good  blood  is  sure  to  prove 
itself ;  that  a  gentleman  can't  look  like  a  common  man,  even 
in  rags.  Stan  disputes  that  theory  with  her,  when  he  isn't 
too  lazy,  and  wants  to  bet  he  could  so  disguise  himself 
that  she  would  take  him  for  a  green  grocer  or  a  fishmonger, 
who  have  the  air  of  being  commoner  than  other  men,  I 
think — at  least  in  our  village  at  Battlemead — because  they 
wear  fat  tufts  of  curls  frothing  out  over  their  foreheads 
from  under  their  caps,  which  are  always  plaid  and  made  of 
cloth. 

Anyway,  if  Mother  is  right,  this  man  in  the  steerage 
must  have  the  bluest  of  blood  in  his  veins,  for  I  never  saw 
one  with  clearer,  nobler  features.  And  yet,  he  doesn't 
give  the  impression  of  a  broken-down  gentleman  who  has 
gone  the  pace  and  paid  for  it  by  stumbling  into  the  depths. 
I  thought,  as  he  looked  up  straight  into  my  face  that  first 
time,  (and  I  think  still)  that  no  face  could  be  finer  or 
more  manly  than  his.  Brown — deep  brown  it  is,  like 
bronze,  and  clean-shaved  (not  rough  and  scrubby),  with 
dark  grey  eyes  (I  knew  at  once  they  were  grey  because  the 
light  struck  into  them)  rimmed  with  black  lashes,  so  long 


36   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

you  couldn't  help  noticing  them ;  black  eyebrows  and  hair 
short  and  sleek  like  Stan's,  or  any  other  well-groomed 
man  one  knows.  Besides,  commonness  shows  in  people's 
mouths  more  than  anywhere  else;  it's  hard  to  define,  but 
it's  there;  and  this  man's  mouth  is  the  best  part  of  his 
face — unless  it's  the  chin;  or  perhaps  the  nose,  I'm  not 
quite  sure  which,  though  I've  thought  a  good  deal  about 
them  all,  because  of  the  mystery  of  finding  such  a  man  in 
such  an  unsuitable  place.  It  would  be  just  the  same  if 
you  saw  a  tall  palm  suddenly  shooting  up  in  the  kitchen- 
garden,  and  couldn't  find  out  how  it  had  been  planted 
there. 

I'm  afraid  I  must  have  shown  how  surprised  I  was,  and 
admiring,  too,  maybe  (how  can  one  keep  from  admiring 
what  is  fine  and  noble,  whether  it's  a  strange  person's  face, 
or  the  profile  of  a  mountain  against  a  sky  at  sunset?)  for 
the  handsome  steerage  passenger  looked  at  me  a  long,  long 
instant  as  if  he  were  as  much  astonished  as  I  was ;  and  yet 
with  such  a  nice  look,  that  instead  of  being  annoyed,  I 
couldn't  help  being  pleased. 

In  the  meantime  the  little  packet  of  money  had  fallen 
on  the  deck ;  but  though  it  had  struck  him  from  behind,  he 
seemed  to  realise  exactly  what  had  happened,  and  stooping 
down,  he  picked  it  up.  Then  he  raised  his  hand  high,  so 
that  I  could  see  he  had  the  crumpled  ball  of  paper  in  it ; 
and  edging  his  way  determinedly  but  not  at  all  roughly, 
through  the  crowd,  he  opened  the  parcel  and  gave  the 
money  to  the  conductor. 

"  What  a  splendid-looking  man ! "  I  said  in  a  low  voice 
to  Mrs.  Ess  Kay.  "  Isn't  it  extraordinary  that  he  should 
be  in  the  steerage  ?  " 

"  Come  away,  my  dear  child,"  she  answered.  "  I  can't 
have  you  standing  here  to  be  stared  at  by  low  creatures 
like  that.  The  fellow's  not  in  the  least  splendid-looking. 


ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER  37 

He's  only  a  big,  hulking  animal.  Don't  take  to  making 
up  romances  about  the  steerage  passengers,  my  love. 
They're  not  worth  bothering  your  little  head  about,  be 
cause  if  they  weren't  born  for  that  sort  of  thing,  they 
wouldn't  be  there,  I  assure  you." 

I  didn't  say  anything  more,  though  I  was  vexed  with 
her,  both  for  being  so  stupidly  conventional,  and  for 
speaking  to  me  in  such  a  loud  tone  that  she  attracted 
people's  attention. 

We  went  back  to  our  deck-chairs,  and  there  was  nothing 
to  remind  me  of  the  little  episode  except  the  torn  cover  of 
my  magazine,  on  which,  I  now  remembered,  Sally  Wood- 
burn  had  scrawled  my  name  over  and  over  again  in  pencil, 
just  in  idleness,  while  she  and  I  had  been  talking  that 
morning.  If  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  had  known,  no  doubt  she  would 
have  been  furious  that  a  piece  of  paper  with  my  name  on 
it  should  have  gone  down  into  the  steerage.  But  I  didn't 
mind,  for  I  remembered  that  the  young  man  had  opened 
the  parcel,  given  the  money  to  the  conductor,  and  kept  the 
cover,  which  probably  he  had  soon  after  thrown  over 
board,  or  twisted  up  to  light  a  pipe. 

Nothing  more  happened  that  day;  but  there  are  two 
nice  American  girls  on  board,  about  my  own  age  or  a  little 
older  (they  seem  years  older,  for  they  are  so  charming  and 
self-possessed)  and  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  encourages  me  to  like 
them,  as  they  are  in  Mrs.  Van  der  Windt's  party.  I  grew 
quite  well  acquainted  with  them  the  third  day  out,  and  they 
asked  me  to  go  and  watch  the  people  in  the  steerage,  who 
had  a  little  trick  dog  which  was  lots  of  fun.  I  went,  and 
saw  the  bronze  young  man  again.  He  was  standing  with 
his  arms  folded  across  his  blue-flannel-shirted  chest,  lean 
ing  against  one  of  the  supports  of  a  kind  of  bridge,  look 
ing  up  towards  the  first-class  deck.  Our  eyes  met  as  they 
had  before,  and  I  was  so  absurd  that  I  felt  myself  blush- 


38   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

ing.  I  could  have  boxed  my  own  ears;  and  though  the 
trained  dog  really  was  a  pet,  I  didn't  stay  long. 

It  is  strange  how  certain  kinds  of  eyes  haunt  one.  You 
see  them  in  the  air,  as  if  they  were  really  looking  at  you — 
especially  when  you  are  just  dropping  off  to  sleep.  I 
think  grey  ones  do  this  more  than  others.  Perhaps  it  is 
because  they  are  more  piercing. 

But  it  was  on  the  fourth  day  that  the  climax  came, — 
the  climax  which  has  ended  by  upsetting  me  so  much, 
and  has  made  everything  so  uncomfortable. 

The  weather  was  glorious — all  blue  and  gold  after  a 
sulky,  leaden  day — and  there  was  dancing  down  on  the 
steerage  deck  again.  Though  it  was  so  fine,  the  water 
was  not  smooth  like  a  floor  as  it  had  been  at  first,  but 
broken  into  indigo  waves  ruffled  irregularly  with  silver  lace 
and  edged  with  shimmering  pearl  fringe. 

The  same  performance  was  going  on,  down  there  on  the 
crowded  deck,  that  I'd  seen  the  first  day,  and  Sally 
Woodburn  and  I,  who  had  been  walking — counting  the 
times  we  went  round,  to  make  two  miles — stopped  to  glance 
at  the  show. 

"  There's  that  good-looking  man  Cousin  Katherine 
classifies  as  a  hulking  animal,"  said  Sally.  "  I  must  really 
consult  the  dictionary  for  a  definition  of  the  word  '  hulk 
ing.'  I  don't  know  whether  it's  a  verb  or  adjective,  do 
you?" 

"No,  I  don't,"  said  I.  "But  whichever  it  is,  I'm 
sure  he  doesn't  or  isn't.  He's  a  gentleman,  and  something 
strange  has  happened  or  he  wouldn't  be  there.  I  do 
think  it's  a  shame.  It  must  be  horrible." 

"  Don't  you  think  Cousin  Katherine  knows  more  about 
such  persons  than  you  ?  "  asked  Sally,  and  there  was  such 
a  funny  quaver  in  her  voice  that  I  turned  to  see  what  it 
meant.  She  was  laughing,  but  whether  at  me  or  at  Mrs. 


ABOUT    CROSSING   THE    WATER  39 

Ess  Kay,  or  at  the  man  with  the  Lobster-Claw  nose,  I 
couldn't  tell;  and  before  I  could  answer  her  question  by 
asking  another,  something  happened  which  put  the  whole 
conversation  out  of  my  mind. 

The  ship  curtseyed  to  a  wave  of  more  importance  than 
any  that  had  gone  before,  then  righted  herself  quickly. 
We  slid  a  little,  everybody  who  could  catching  hold  of  the 
rail  or  of  some  friend's  arm,  laughing;  but  down  on  the 
steerage  deck  there  rose  a  cry  which  wasn't  laughter. 

"  Child  overboard !  "  someone  screamed.  And  I  realised 
with  a  horrid  feeling  like  suffocation,  that  a  tiny  boy  down 
below,  who  had  climbed  up  on  the  rail  to  watch  the  danc 
ing,  was  missing. 

It  was  a  woman  who  had  screamed,  and  everything  fol 
lowed  so  quickly  that  my  mind  was  confused,  as  if  a  whirl 
wind  had  rushed  through  it  and  blown  all  the  impressions 
on  top  of  one  another,  in  a  heap.  There  was  a  babel  of 
voices  on  the  steerage  deck,  more  cries,  and  shouts,  and 
screams,  and  people  surged  in  a  solid  wave  toward  the  rail 
to  look  over.  But  out  of  that  wave  sprang  one  figure 
separating  itself  from  the  other  atoms;  and  then  I  heard 
myself  give  a  cry,  too,  for  the  man  who  had  been  in  my 
thoughts  had  thrown  off  his  coat  and  vaulted  over  the  rail 
into  the  sea. 

"  Jove !  he'll  be  caught  by  the  propeller  i "  I  heard  some 
body  near  me  say. 

I  turned  sick.  The  thought  of  his  life  being  crushed 
out  while  we  all  looked  on,  helpless,  was  awful.  The  sea 
was  terrible  enough  in  itself — the  great,  wide,  merciless, 
blue  water,  which  sparkled  so  coldly,  and  laughed  in  its 
power — but  to  be  crunched  up  by  the  jaws  of  a  monster — 
I  shut  my  eyes,  and  couldn't  open  them  until  I  heard  men 
saying  the  strong  wind  to  starboard  might  save  him.  I 
believe  I  must  have  been  unconsciously  praying,  and  my 


40   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

hands  were  clasped  so  tightly  together  that  afterwards 
my  fingers  ached. 

People  on  our  deck  made  a  rush  towar'ds  the  stern,  on 
the  port  side,  for  the  ship  had  been  steaming  so  fast  that 
already  we  were  forging  away  from  the  child  who  had 
fallen  and  the  man  who  had  jumped  after  him.  Sally  and 
I  were  carried  along  with  the  rush.  She  seized  me  by  the 
hand,  but  we  didn't  speak  a  word.  If  dear  friends,  in 
stead  of  two  strangers  in  a  far  remote  sphere  of  life,  had 
been  in  deadly  danger,  I  don't  think  the  sickness  at  my 
heart  could  have  been  worse.  I  would  have  given  years  if 
at  that  moment  I  could  have  had  the  magical  power  to  stop 
the  ship  instantly,  with  one  wave  of  my  hand. 

But  it  was  being  stopped,  by  another  power  than  mine. 
I  felt  the  deck  shiver  under  my  feet,  like  a  thoroughbred 
horse,  pulled  on  to  his  haunches.  The  accident  had  been 
seen  from  the  bridge;  an  order  to  stop  the  ship  had  been 
telegraphed  down  to  the  engine-room,  and  obeyed.  Still, 
when  Sally  Woodburn  and  I  had  been  carried  by  the  crowd 
far  enough  towards  the  stern  to  look  out  over  the  blue 
wilderness  of  water  we  were  leaving  behind,  the  ship's  heart 
hadn't  ceased  its  throb,  throb,  to  which  we  had  all  grown 
so  accustomed  in  the  last  few  days. 

"He's  got  the  child!"  exclaimed  Sally.  "See,  he's 
hauling  the  little  creature  on  to  his  back  with  one  hand, 
and  swimming  with  the  other.  Glorious  fellow !  " 

Yes,  there  were  the  two  heads  bobbing  like  black  corks 
in  the  tossing  waves,  close  together.  I  pictured  so  vividly 
what  my  sensations  would  be,  if  I  were  down  there,  a  mere 
speck  in  that  vast  expanse  of  blue,  that  I  almost  tasted  salt 
water  in  my  mouth,  and  felt  the  choking  tingle  of  it  in  my 
lungs. 

Then,  suddenly  the  ship's  heart  ceased  to  beat;  and  the 
unaccustomed  stillness  was  as  startling  as  an  unexpected 


ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER  41 

noise.  A  boat  shot  down  from  the  davits,  with  several 
sailors  on  board;  a  few  seconds  later  they  were  rowing 
away  towards  those  two  bobbing  black  corks,  and  I  loved 
them  as  they  bent  to  their  oars. 

I  can't  remember  breathing  once,  or  even  winking,  until 
I  saw  the  child  being  lifted  into  the  boat,  and  the  man 
climbing  in  after.  What  a  shout  went  up  from  the  ship! 
Sally  clapped  her  pretty,  dimpled  hands,  but  I  only  let  my 
breath  go  at  last,  in  a  great  sigh. 

There  was  such  a  crush  that  I  couldn't  see  them  when 
they  came  on  board,  but  there  was  more  shouting  and 
hurrahing,  and  men  slapped  each  other  on  the  shoulder 
and  laughed. 

Throb,  throb  went  the  machinery  again,  and  there  was 
no  sign  that  anything  out  of  the  monotonous  round  had 
happened,  except  in  the  excited  way  that  people  talked. 
Several  men  we  knew  paid  a  visit  to  the  steerage,  and  came 
back  with  stories  which  flew  about  from  group  to  group 
in  the  first-class  cabin,  and  no  doubt  the  second  too. 

It  seemed  that  the  little  boy  who  had  fallen  into  the  sea 
was  the  only  son  of  his  mother,  a  widow.  They  were 
Swedes,  and  the  woman,  who  is  on  her  way  to  the  States 
to  try  and  find  a  place  as  a  servant,  was  quite  prostrated 
with  the  agonising  suspense  she  had  suffered.  As  for  the 
little  boy  himself,  he  was  not  seriously  the  worse  for  his  ex 
perience.  The  doctor  was  with  him,  and  said  that  he 
would  be  as  well  as  ever  in  a  few  hours.  A  subscription  for 
the  mother  and  child  had  already  been  started  among  the 
first-class  passengers,  and  would  probably  be  made  up  to 
quite  a  good  sum. 

"But  what  is  going  to  be  done  for  the  one  who  saved 
the  little  boy's  life?  "  I  asked  the  man  who  was  telling  me 
the  news,  a  Mr.  Doremus,  who  is  a  cousin  of  Mrs.  Van  der 
Windt's,  very  full  of  fun,  and  good  natured. 


42   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

"  A  nice  little  pedestal,  labelled  '  Our  Hero,'  will  be 
built  out  of  the  ladies'  admiration,  and  given  to  him  to 
pose  on,"  said  Mr.  Doremus.  "  However,  I  must  say  for 
the  gentleman, — though  I've  only  seen  him  dripping  wet, 
and  shaking  himself  like  a  big  dog, — he  didn't  give  me 
the  impression  of  being  the  sort  of  chap  to  say  '  thank 
you '  for  the  perch." 

"  Of  course  he  isn't !  "  said  I.  "  But  I  do  think  it's  a 
shame  if  he's  left  out  when  subscriptions  are  going  round. 
Of  course  he  must  be  poor,  or  he  wouldn't  be  travelling  in 
the  steerage.  Something  ought  to  be  done  to  show  him 
that  the  passengers  admire  his  bravery — not  anything  ful 
some,  but  something  nice." 

"  I  guess  you  don't  know  the  American  disposition  yet, 
as  well  as  you  will  after  you've  wrestled  with  it  on  its  native 
heath  for  a  few  months,"  remarked  Mr.  Doremus  in  his 
quaint  way.  "  That  chap  down  in  the  steerage  is  an  Amer 
ican,  whatever  else  he  may  be,  or  I'll  eat  my  best  hat ;  and 
I  wouldn't  for  five  cents  be  in  the  deputation  to  present  him 
with  the  something  '  not  fulsome  but  nice '  on  a  little  silver 
salver.  I  should  expect  him  to  give  me  the  frosty  mitt." 

This  expression  struck  me  as  being  so  funny  that  I  burst 
out  laughing,  though  I  had  to  stop  and  think  for  a  second 
before  I  could  quite  see  what  Mr.  Doremus  really  meant; 
but  I  wouldn't  forget  my  point  in  a  laugh. 

"  Perhaps  it  wouldn't  do  to  offer  money,"  I  went  on. 
"  Suppose  we  got  up  a  subscription  to  buy  him  a  second- 
class  passage  for  the  rest  of  the  way.  That  would  show 
appreciation,  wouldn't  it  ?  " 

"  It  would,"  replied  Mr.  Doremus,  gravely,  "  and  if 
you'll  start  the  subscription,  Lady  Betty,  it'll  go  like 
wildfire." 

"  Very  well,  then,  I  will,"  said  I.  "  Though  I'd  rather 
someone  else  did  it." 


ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER  43 

"  It  wouldn't  be  so  popular  from  any  other  quarter. 
I'll  help  you.  We'll  go  floating  around  together  and  pass 
the  plate ;  and  if  you  like,  I'll  do  the  talking." 

I  agreed  to  this,  and  if  I'd  thought  about  it  at  all,  I 
should  have  supposed  that  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  would  be  as 
pleased  as  Punch  with  such  an  arrangement,  because  Mr. 
Doremus,  as  a  relative  of  Mrs.  Van  der  Windt's,  is  the  only 
man  on  board  to  whom  she  makes  herself  agreeable.  It  ap 
pears  that  he  has  started  several  fashions  in  New  York, 
the  most  important  being  to  drive  in  some  park  they  have 
there,  without  a  hat.  But  probably  if  the  truth  were 
known,  he  lost  it,  like  the  fox  that  tried  to  make  his  friends 
chop  off  their  tails. 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay  had  gone  to  her  stateroom  soon  after 
lunch,  as  the  motion  of  the  ship  had  given  her  a  headache, 
and  I  didn't  happen  to  be  near  Sally  Woodburn ;  so  I  said 
"  yes  "  to  Mr.  Doremus  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment,  with 
out  stopping  to  think  whether  I  ought  to  ask  permission 
first. 

We  had  great  fun  going  about,  for  Mr.  Doremus  was  so 
witty  and  said  such  amusing  things  to  the  people  he 
begged  of,  that  I  could  hardly  speak  for  laughing,  and 
everyone  else  laughed  too.  I  wished  that  he  wouldn't  put 
me  forward  always,  and  say  it  was  my  idea,  and  I  had 
started  the  subscription ;  but  he  argued  that  I  must  sacri 
fice  myself  for  the  success  of  the  Charity,  just  as  I  would 
at  home,  if  I  had  to  work  off  damaged  pincushions  or  day 
before  yesterday's  violets  at  a  bazaar.  Of  course,  not 
being  out,  I've  never  sold  anything  at  bazaars,  but  Vic 
toria  is  continually  doing  it  in  the  Season,  and  she  makes 
quite  a  virtue  of  forcing  perfect  strangers  to  "  stand  and 
deliver,"  as  she  calls  it.  This  seemed  much  the  same  sort 
of  thing  to  me,  and  so  I  felt  nice  and  virtuous,  too,  as  Vic 
does  when  she  comes  home  with  a  new  frock  torn  and 


44   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

stepped  on,  and  lies  in  bed  late  next  day,  with  Thompson 
to  brush  her  hair,  and  me  to  read  to  her. 

People  were  very  kind,  and  though  they  laughed  a  great 
deal,  they  gave  so  much  that  before  we'd  been  half  the 
rounds,  Mr.  Doremus  said  we  had  more  than  enough  for 
our  friend.  He  wanted  to  know  if  I  would  like  to  "  hit  the 
nail  on  the  head  "  and  settle  matters  at  once,  by  arranging 
with  the  purser  for  a  second-class  cabin  to  be  put  at  the 
hero's  disposal.  I  wanted  him  to  do  that  part  alone,  but 
he  pretended  to  be  shy,  and  said  he  had  grown  to  depend 
so  entirely  on  my  co-operation,  that  he  felt  unequal  to  un 
dertaking  any  responsibility  without  it.  He  told  the  same 
story  to  the  purser  that  he  had  told  others,  about  my  being 
the  one  to  start  the  subscription,  and  he  wanted  me  to 
sign  a  kind  of  letter  which  he  wrote,  to  the  effect  that  the 
passengers  had  chosen  this  way  of  testifying  their  ap 
preciation  of  a  gallant  deed,  and  so  on;  but  I  wouldn't, 
and  he  stopped  teasing  at  last,  when  he  saw  that  I  was 
going  to  be  vexed. 

After  the  business  was  what  Mr.  Doremus  called  "  fixed 
up,"  he  took  me  back  to  my  chair  on  deck.  Sally  wasn't 
in  her  place,  and  as  I  was  wondering  what  had  become  of 
her,  the  dressing-for-dinner  bugle  went  wailing  over  the 
ship  like  a  hungry  Banshee.  I  said  to  myself  that  Sally 
must  have  gone  early  because  her  frock  was  to  be  particu 
larly  elaborate.  I  felt  conscious  of  having  heaps  of  in 
teresting  things  to  tell,  and  I  understood  exactly  what  Vic 
toria  means  when  she  says  she's  in  one  of  her  "  pretty  and 
popular  moods." 

I  danced  into  our  stateroom,  where  only  a  drawn  cur 
tain  covers  the  open  doorway.  No  one  was  there,  and  the 
cabin  was  so  quiet  that  it  seemed  to  greet  me  with  a  warning 
"S-sh!" 

Down  fell  my  spirits  with  a  dull  thud,  though  I  didn't 


ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER  45 

know  why.  My  joyousness  changed  to  what  storybook 
writers  describe  as  a  "  foreboding  of  disaster  " ;  but  when 
I  have  it,  it's  generally  connected  with  a  lecture  from 
Mother,  so  I  know  it  only  as  a  sneaky,  "  I  haven't  eaten 
the  cream  "  sort  of  feeling. 

Just  as  I  had  begun  to  take  off  my  frock,  Louise  ap 
peared  at  the  door  which  leads  into  the  little  drawing- 
room.  She  said  that  if  I  pleased,  Madame  would  be  glad 
to  see  me  in  her  cabin.  I  hurried  across  to  the  other  state 
room  opposite  ours,  and  there  found  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  in  a 
gorgeously  embroidered  pink  satin  Japanese  thing,  which 
she  calls  a  kimona.  She  was  sitting  in  a  chair  in  front  of 
the  makeshift  dressing-table,  putting  on  her  rings,  and 
clasping  bracelets  on  her  wrists  with  vicious  snaps.  Sally, 
who  hadn't  begun  to  dress,  was  standing  up,  looking  al 
most  cross;  that  is,  with  different  features  from  hers,  she 
might  have  succeeded  in  looking  cross. 

"Sit  down,  Betty,  please;  I  want  to  talk  to  you," 
said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay. 

Somehow,  it  always  makes  me  feel  stiff  when  she 
"  Betty's  "  me,  as  my  old  nurse  says  it  does  with  your  ears 
if  you  eat  broad  beans. 

"  If  I  do,  I  shall  be  late  for  dinner,"  said  I,  just  as  if  a 
minute  ago  I  hadn't  been  dying  to  pour  out  my  news. 

"  Never  mind  dinner,  my  dear  girl,"  replied  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay,  with  an  air  which  I  do  believe  she  tried  to  copy  from 
Mother.  "  What  I  have  to  say  is  more  important  than 
dinner.  I  hope  what  I  have  been  hearing  isn't  true." 

"  That  depends  upon  what  it  was,"  I  retorted,  disguis 
ing  my  pertness  with  a  smile. 

"  Don't  think  I've  been  tattling,"  said  Sally.  "  What 
ever  my  faults  may  be,  /  haven't  a  Rubber  Neck." 

I  didn't  know  in  the  least  what  she  meant;  but  after 
wards  she  explained  that  if  your  neck  is  always  pivoting 


46*  LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

round,  to  pry  into  other  people's  affairs,  it  is  a  Rubber 
Neck,  and  I  shall  remember  the  expression  to  tell  Stan 
when  I  go  home.  He  will  like  to  add  it  to  his  collection  of 
strange  beasts. 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay  partly  turned  her  back  upon  Sally.  "  The 
dear  Duchess  "  (she  always  speaks  of  Mother  in  that  way,) 
"  the  dear  Duchess  has  entrusted  you  to  my  charge,  Betty, 
and  I  don't  know  what  I  shall  do  if  you  take  advantage  of 
me  by  playing  naughty  tricks  whenever  I  am  incapacitated 
from  chaperoning  you  for  half  an  hour." 

One  would  have  thought  I  was  a  trained  dog !  I  simply 
stared  with  saucer  eyes,  and  she  went  on.  "  Mrs.  Colling- 
wood  came  in  to  enquire  for  my  headache,  and  she  told  me 
that  you  have  been  running  about  begging  for  money  to 
give  to  a  common  man  in  the  steerage.  I  sent  instantly 
for  Sally,  but  she  either  knows,  or  pretends  to  know 
nothing." 

I  rushed  into  explanations,  sure  that  when  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay  understood,  I  should  be  pronounced  "  not  guilty." 
But  to  my  surprise,  her  chin  grew  squarer  and  squarer, 
and  her  eyes  harder  and  lighter,  till  they  looked  almost 
white. 

"  I  don't  want  to  be  harsh,"  she  said  at  last,  in  the  tone 
people  use  when  they're  walking  on  the  ragged  edge  of 
their  patience,  "  but  for  the  Duchess's  sake,  I  must  be 
firm.  It  was  very  wrong  of  Tommy  Doremus  to  let  you 
make  yourself  so  conspicuous.  This  may  lead  to  your 
being  dreadfully  misunderstood  and  putting  yourself  and 
all  of  us  in  a  false  position.  The  man  may  be  a  butcher 
for  all  you  know." 

"  His  complexion  isn't  pink  and  white  enough  for  a 
butcher's,"  said  I.  "  Besides,  I  thought  that  in  America 
one  man  was  as  good  as  another." 

"You  were  never  more  mistaken  in  your  life,  my  dear 


ABOUT    CROSSING    THE   WATER  47 

girl;  and  the  sooner  you  correct  such  an  impression  the 
better,  or  you  may  get  into  serious  trouble  from  which  I 
can't  save  you.  If  the  steerage  man  isn't  a  butcher,  he's 
probably  a  professional  swimmer,  and  the  whole  thing  was 
a  scheme,  to  advertise  himself.  In  fact,  I  am  pretty  cer 
tain  from  what  Mrs.  Collingwood  said,  it  was  that.  And  I 
want  you  to  promise  me  solemnly  that  you  will  not  go 
around  helping  to  advertise  the  creature  any  more.  If 
you  say  you  admire  such  a  person,  people  will  think  you're 
like  the  Matinee  Girls,  who  wait  at  stage  doors  and  run 
after  actors." 

I  was  so  angry,  that  I  "  talked  back  " ;  and  it  finally 
ended  in  our  relations  being  somewhat  strained  at  dinner, 
which  ruined  my  appetite,  until  a  peculiarly  soothing  iced 
pudding  came  on. 

Afterwards,  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  was  cool  to  Mr.  Doremus, 
and  would  have  been  cold,  I  think,  if  he  weren't  Mrs.  Van 
der  Windt's  cousin.  He  lounged  up  to  our  place  on  deck 
to  give  me  the  news  that  the  Third  Class  Hero  (as  he  calls 
the  bronze  young  man)  refused  to  be  Second  Class.  He 
had  asked  permission  to  give  the  cabin  offered  him  to  the 
child  whose  life  he  had  saved,  and  the  mother. 

"  It's  for  you  to  say  yes  or  no,  Lady  Betty,"  announced 
Mr.  Doremus,  "  because  it's  your  show ;  you  set  the  top 
spinning." 

"  She  is  to  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  the  affair," 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay  answered  for  me  quickly.  "  She  is  very 
sorry  she  commenced  it,  and  has  lost  the  small  interest  she 
felt  in  the  beginning.  I  do  hope  that  tramp,  or  beggar, 
or  whatever  he  is,  hasn't  gotten  it  in  his  conceited  head 
that  Lady  Betty  Bulkeley  has  bothered  herself  about  his 
insignificant  affairs,  or  he'll  be  thrusting  himself  upon  her 
notice  in  some  way  which  will  be  very  disagreeable  for  Me, 
as  her  guardian." 


48   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

"  Well,  he  has  sent  a  message  of  thanks  to  everyone  con 
cerned,"  said  Mr.  Tommy  Doremus.  "  I  don't  know 
whether  he  put  Lady  Betty  at  the  top  of  the  list  or  not,  and 
if  that's  the  way  you  feel  about  our  nice  little  stunt,  I 
expect  it's  just  as  well  not  to  enquire  further." 

All  the  rest  of  the  trip  has  been  spoiled  for  me, 
by  the  hateful  way  in  which  the  excitement  of  that  day 
ended,  and  it  does  seem  too  bad,  for  everything  might  have 
been  so  nice. 

Whether  people  really  do  make  ill-natured  jokes  or  riot, 
I  don't  know;  but  anyhow,  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  keeps  hinting 
that  they  do,  which  is  almost  as  disagreeable  for  me.  She 
says  that  they  have  nicknamed  the  bronze  man  "Lady 
Betty's  Hero  " ;  and  this  has  made  me  so  self-conscious 
that  I  can't  bear  to  go  near  the  part  of  the  deck  where 
you  look  over  into  the  steerage,  for  fear  some  silly  crea 
tures  may  think  I'm  trying  to  see  him.  I  feel  as  if  I 
had  been  a  conspicuous  idiot,  and  I'm  so  uncomfortable 
with  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  now,  that  I  expect  to  be  wretched  in 
her  house.  I  can't  talk  it  over  even  with  Sally,  because, 
after  all,  she's  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  cousin.  I  wish  I  had  a  nose 
two  inches  long,  and  green  hair,  and  then  perhaps  Mother 
and  Vic  would  have  let  me  stop  at  home. 

Still,  I  can't  help  taking  an  interest  in  ship  life,  and 
now  that  it's  the  morning  of  the  last  day  on  board,  I  look 
back  on  it  all  as  if  it  ought  to  have  been  even  more  fun 
than  it  was. 

I  enjoyed  hearing  about  the  Marconigrams  when  they 
came;  it  seemed  like  living  in  a  tale  by  Stan's  favourite, 
Jules  Verne,  to  have  messages  come  flying  to  us  in  mid- 
ocean,  like  invisible  carrier  pigeons.  I  enjoyed  having  Mr. 
Doremus  tell  me  about  his  luck  in  the  big  pools,  when  the 
men  bet  on  the  day's  run ;  and  I'm  afraid  I  rather  revelled 
in  seeing  a  row  on  deck  one  evening,  when  one  man  accused 


ABOUT    CROSSING    THE    WATER  49 

another  of  being  a  cheat  and  a  professional  gambler,  and 
almost  cried  about  some  money  he'd  lost.  If  I  had  been  the 
first  man,  I  wouldn't  have  trusted  the  other  in  the  begin 
ning,  because  he  had  fat  lips,  greasy  black  curls,  and 
wicked  eyes  so  close  together  you  felt  they  might  run  into 
one,  if  he  winked  too  hard  on  a  hot  day.  But  if  I  had 
been  so  stupid  as  to  trust  him,  I  would  have  been  ashamed 
to  make  a  fuss  afterwards.  I  think  people  ought  to  be 
sporting. 

I  liked  the  "  Captain's  dinner,"  too,  in  honour  of  the 
last  night  on  board,  with  the  flags  and  paper-flower 
decorations,  the  band  playing  military  music,  the  dishes 
on  the  menu  named  after  famous  generals,  and  the 
stewards  filing  in,  in  a  long  procession,  when  the  salon 
had  been  darkened,  each  carrying  a  bright-coloured,  illum 
inated  ice,  and  cake  with  tiny  English,  and  American,  and 
German  flags  stuck  into  the  top. 

Yes,  I  liked  everything,  except — but  now  it  is  nearly 
over.  America  is  just  round  the  corner  of  the  world. 


Ill 

ABOUT    NEW    YORK 

A^ER  you  have  seen  nothing  but  water  for  days, 
it's  odd  how  excited  you  are  on  seeing  a  little 
land.  Just  a  little,  little  land,  and  not  at  all  in 
teresting  to  look  at;  a  strip  of  grey  sand,  or  a 
patch  of  green  grass ;  and  you  have  been  only  a  few  days 
away  from  such  things,  yet  somehow  you  want  to  jump  up 
and  down  and  shout  for  joy. 

More  than  half  the  first-class  passengers  on  our  ship 
were  Americans,  coming  home,  and  I  suppose  they  had 
gone  away  because  they  wanted  to  go.  If  they  had  liked, 
they  could  have  stopped  in  their  own  country  as  well  as 
not;  and  I  heard  some  of  them  saying  during  the  voyage 
that  if  they  could,  they  would  spend  nine  months  out 
of  the  year  in  Paris;  but  they  made  as  much  fuss  over 
the  first  lump  of  sand  we  saw  as  if  we  were  discovering 
the  North  Pole.  Some  of  them  had  taken  this  trip  a  dozen 
times  or  maybe  more,  but  anyone  would  have  thought  it 
was  as  new  to  them  as  to  me. 

It  seemed  as  if  I  were  sailing,  in  a  dream,  to  a  dream 
land,  and  everything  would  be  a  dream,  till  I  found  my 
self  waking  up  at  home.  If  anyone  had  pinched  me,  I 
hardly  believe  I  should  have  felt  it,  as  I  stood  by  the  rail, 
while  we  steamed  towards  New  York.  We  passed  a  big 
fort,  and  some  neat  little  houses,  which  looked  like  officers' 
quarters.  There  were  Long  Island  and  Coney  Island, 
which  Mr.  Doremus  said  I  must  be  "  personally  con 
ducted  "  to  see,  some  day  when  I  felt  young  and  frivolous ; 

50 


'ABOUT    NEW    YORK  51 

and  by  and  by  I  heard  people  exclaiming  "  There's  Liberty 
— there  she  is !  Bless  the  dear  old  girl !  " 

While  I  was  wondering  whether  they  were  talking  of 
a  lady,  or  a  ship,  I  caught  sight  of  a  majestic  giantess, 
obligingly  holding  a  torch  up  to  light  the  world.  Then 
I  knew  it  was  the  Statue  which  I  had  read  about. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  her  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Doremus. 

"  She's  a  grande  dame,"  I  said.  "  Now  I  know  why 
your  girls  hold  themselves  so  well.  They're  trying  to  live 
up  to  the  Ideal  American  Woman.  But  she  isn't  as  big 
as  I  thought  she  would  be.  Nothing  ever  is  as  big  as  you 
think  it's  going  to  be,  especially  when  Americans  have  told 
you  about  it ;  for  one  has  been  brought  up  to  believe  that 
their  big  things  are  bigger  than  anybody  else's  in  the 
whole  world." 

"  So  they  are,"  said  Mr.  Doremus,  "  only  where  all  the 
things  are  big,  you  don't  notice  them,  for  the  high  grass. 
And  over  there's  some  of  the  grass." 

He  pointed,  and  I  saw  a  great  number  of  enormous 
objects,  shaped  like  chimneys,  and  apparently  about  a 
mile  high,  scattered  aimlessly  along  the  horizon,  which 
was  a  brilliant,  limpid  blue. 

"  What  are  they  ?  "  I  asked.  "  Great,  strange,  factories 
of  some  sort?  " 

"  No.  Houses  where  pretty  women  live,  and  offices 
where  men  make  the  money  for  them  to  live  on." 

"  You  must  be  joking.  Women  would  be  afraid  to 
perch  up  there  in  the  sky.  Besides,  it  would  take  too  long 
to  go  up  and  down." 

"  Nothing  takes  long  in  America.  And  it  comes  natural 
to  our  women  to  perch  up  high.  Statues  aren't  the  only 
things  we  buy  pedestals  for,  this  side  of  the  porpoise-tank. 
You  just  wait  and  see." 

"  I  don't  need  to  wait  to  see  that  American  men  are 


52      LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

nice  to  women,"  said  I ;  "  perhaps  no  nicer  than  English 
men,  really,  only  you  seem  to  take  a  great  deal  more 
trouble.  Fancy  all  the  men  at  Mrs.  Van  der  Windt's 
table  drawing  lots  every  night  for  the  right  to  sit  by  her 
and  the  two  Miss  Eastmans ;  I  don't  believe  it  would  have 
occurred  to  Englishmen.  The  ones  who  really  wanted  to 
sit  there,  would  have  tried  to  get  to  their  places  first,  that's 
all.  I  do  think  it  was  pretty  of  you." 

"Wasn't  it?  especially  supposing  none  of  us  particu 
larly  wanted — but  never  mind.  Talking  of  pretty  things, 
here  are  the  docks." 

They  were  big  enough  to  satisfy  even  my  expectations, 
and  I  wished  that  I'd  insisted  on  being  taken  by  someone 
long  ago,  to  visit  the  London  docks,  so  that  I  might  know 
whether  ours  were  better  or  worse.  One  never  thinks  of 
going  to  see  things  at  home;  but  I  began  to  suspect  that 
I  might  some  day  be  stabbed  with  jealous  pangs  and  need 
to  be  stuffed  with  a  lot  of  facts  about  England — though 
until  I  knew  Americans  I've  been  in  the  habit  of  thinking 
facts  the  least  interesting  things  in  the  world.  They 
seemed  like  chairs  to  sit  on  or  floors  to  walk  on  without 
noticing  what  you  were  doing;  but  I  suppose  it  might  be 
awkward  without  chairs  and  floors. 

Soon  we  were  near  enough  to  New  York  to  see  the 
tremendous  chimney  things  clearly,  and  they  sharpened 
the  impression  that  I  was  sailing  straight  into  a  dream. 
There  could  be  no  such  things  in  the  real  world;  they 
wouldn't  be  possible.  But  the  dream  felt  very  interesting 
and  intense  all  of  a  sudden,  and  I  didn't  want  to  wake  up 
from  it  just  then,  in  spite  of  Mrs.  Ess  Kay. 

The  tall  shapes  were  bright  and  vivid  now,  as  giant 
hollyhocks  growing  in  irregular  rows.  Still,  they  did  not 
look  one  bit  like  houses,  or  offices  where  people  could  work 
without  going  stark,  staring  mad.  I  got  a  queer  idea 


ABOUT    NEW    YORK  53 

in  my  head  that  the  houses  themselves  must  be  buried 
deep  underground,  like  bulbs,  with  only  their  towers  stick 
ing  up. 

The  next  thing  that  happened  in  the  dream,  was  slowing 
majestically  into  our  own  dock,  and  that  was  wonderful. 
The  whole  place  was  alive  with  faces,  mostly  pretty  girls' 
faces,  under  fascinating  hats,  gay  as  flowers  in  a  flower- 
show;  parterre  above  parterre  of  brilliant  blossoms;  and 
they  had  all  been  grown  in  honour  of  us. 

There  was  a  wild  waving  of  handkerchiefs  on  the  ship, 
and  a  frantic  fluttering  of  white  among  the  flowers,  as 
if  a  flock  of  butterflies  had  been  frightened  up  into  the 
air.  Still  we  were  a  long  time  getting  in,  and  I  grew 
quite  impatient;  but  finally  Louise,  who  had  attended  to 
my  packing,  took  charge  of  my  handbag,  my  sunshade 
and  coat,  with  her  mistress's  and  Miss  Woodburn's  things. 
The  moment  had  come  to  bid  the  ship  good-bye. 

"  Now,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  slipping  her  arm  into  mine, 
"  I  wonder,  dear  child,  if  you  would  mind  being  left  alone 
to  deal  with  the  custom-house  people?  You'd  stand  under 
your  own  letter  *  B,'  of  course." 

"  Oh,  Katherine,  do  you  think  even  Letter  B,  which 
sounds  so  like  a  warning  to  young  men,  a  proper  chaperon 
for  a  Duchess's  daughter?  "  exclaimed  Sally  Woodburn. 

I  laughed,  but  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  didn't.  She  evidently 
considers  things  connected  with  the  American  Custom 
House  no  fit  subject  for  frivolity.  She  went  on,  without 
answering;  "  I'm  under  «  K,'  and  Sally  « W.'  We'll  both 
have  all  we  can  attend  to  wrestling  with  our  own  Fiends, 
and  Louise  will  be  just  as  busy.  But  you're  a  British  sub 
ject,  on  a  short  visit  to  this  country,  and  they  won't  be 
as  diabolical  to  you,  dear.  I  did  all  the  swearing  necessary 
for  you  in  the  saloon,  with  my  own,  when  the  tiresome 
man  came  on  board,  and  there's  really  nothing  left  for 


54      LADY    BETTY    'ACROSS    THE    WATER 

you  to  bother  with  on  the  dock,  except  to  open  your  boxes 
and  say  you  have  nothing  to  declare." 

I  was  glad  that  since  profanity  had  been  called  for  in 
the  saloon,  owing  to  the  tiresomeness  of  a  man,  it  had  been 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay  who  was  obliged  to  give  vent  to  it,  not 
I ;  but  I  felt  rather  defrauded  that  I  couldn't  have  heard, 
and  I  wondered  if  she  had  gone  so  far  as  to  mention 
"  damn."  All  I  said  out  loud,  however,  was  that  I  was 
sure  I  could  manage  very  well  in  the  docks,  and  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay  appeared  much  relieved.  "  That's  perfectly  sweet 
of  you,  Betty,"  she  said,  launching  a  daggery  glance  at 
poor,  inoffensive  Sally,  for  some  reason  which  I  couldn't 
understand.  "  I  hope  you  won't  think  I'm  horrid  not  to 
have  asked  you  to  label  your  baggage  '  K,'  so  it  could  go 
with  mine.  It's  better  not,  for  everyone  concerned; 
I'll  explain  afterwards  why;  and  Louise  shall  take  you 
to  <  B.5 " 

Louise  did  take  me  to  "  B,"  which  they  had  thought 
fully  printed  very  large  and  black  on  a  wooden  wall  of 
the  dock,  in  a  row  with  all  the  other  letters  of  the  alphabet. 
A  good  many  people  from  the  ship  were  collecting  beneath 
theirs,  as  if  they  were  animals  getting  ready  to  join  the 
procession  for  the  ark,  under  the  heading  of  Cat  or 
Elephant,  as  the  case  might  be;  and  they  all  seemed 
worried  and  apprehensive,  as  you  do  at  the  dentist's, 
even  when  you  try  to  distract  your  mind  by  looking  at 
the  pictures  in  Punch. 

Louise  put  my  bag  on  the  wooden  floor,  and  folded  my 
coat  on  it.  "  Miladi  will  do  well  to  sit  down,"  said  she. 
"  It  may  be  that  the  baggage  do  not  come  immediate- 
ment."  With  this  she  bustled  away  to  the  Louise  rabbit 
warren,  wherever  it  was,  leaving  me  to  the  tender  mercies 
of  fellow  "  B's,"  who  began  to  swarm  round  me  and  buzz 
distractedly. 


ABOUT    NEW    YORK  55 

I  subsided  on  the  bag,  which  was  very  like  sitting  on 
the  floor;  but  it  was  stifling  down  there  among  people's 
feet ;  besides,  mine  soon  got  "  pins  and  needles  " ;  so  pres 
ently  I  popped  up  like  a  Jack  out  of  his  Box,  and  almost 
knocked  off  a  man's  nose  with  the  crown  of  my  hat. 

I  said  "  I  beg  your  pardon !  "  though  what  the  nose  was 
doing  so  near  the  top  of  my  head  I  couldn't  conceive,  until 
its  owner  (fumbling  with  one  hand  for  his  handkerchief 
to  staunch  a  drop  of  blood,  and  snatching  off  his  straw 
hat  with  the  other,  already  full  of  notebooks  and  things) 
blurted  out  abruptly:  "  Are  you  Lady  Bulkeley?  " 

I  was  surprised! 

"  No,"  said  I.    "  I'm  Lady  Betty  Bulkeley." 

"  That's  all  right,"  said  the  nose  man,  as  if  he  forgave 
me  for  being  myself.  "  I  didn't  know  but  you'd  want  to 
be  called  Lady  Bulkeley  by  strangers." 

"  It  isn't  my  name,"  I  said,  more  puzzled  than  ever.  I 
would  have  tried  to  be  dignified,  as  he  was  a  perky-looking 
young  man  in  an  alpaca  coat;  but  when  you  have  just 
made  a  person's  nose  bleed  with  your  hat,  it  would  seem 
unfeeling  to  be  too  frigid, — though  I  believe  an  applica 
tion  of  ice  is  supposed  to  be  beneficial. 

"  Shall  I  call  you  Lady  Betty  then  ?  "  asked  the  man, 
patting  his  nose  with  his  handkerchief,  which  luckily  for 
my  nerves  had  already  a  pattern  of  pink  dots  on  it. 

"  I  don't  see  why  you  should  call  me  anything,"  said  I. 

With  that,  he  produced  a  card,  with  a  whole  string  of 
words  printed  on  it,  and  poked  it  under  my  eyes.  "  I  was 
just  going  to  introduce  myself,"  he  said.  "  I  represent 
The  New  York  Flashlight,  and  I've  been  sent  by  my 
paper  to  get  something  from  you,  if  you'll  oblige  me." 

"  Something  from  me  ?  "  I  repeated,  bewildered.  "  Is 
it  anything  to  do  with  the  Customs?  I've  nothing  to  de 
clare." 


56      LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  Just  tell  me,  please,  something  about  your  family. 
Your  brother's  the  Duke  of  Stanforth,  isn't  he?"  (He 
pronounced  it  "  Dook.") 

"  Yes,  but " 

"  Thanks.    Young  and  unmarried,  isn't  he  ?  " 

"  Yes.     But " 

"  Ever  been  on  this  side?  " 

"No.     But " 

"  He'll  come  some  day,  won't  he  ?  Most  unmarried 
Dukes  do." 

"  I  don't  know,  I'm  sure.    Really,  I  think " 

"  Excuse  me.  You're  going  to  stay  with  Mrs.  Stuyve- 
sant-Knox,  I  believe.  Will  you  make  a  lengthy  visit?  " 

"  I  don't " 

"  You  must  have  met  one  or  two  of  our  smartest  young 
men  on  board.  What  do  you  think  of  them  as  compared 
with  Englishmen?  " 

Long  before  this  I  had  made  up  my  mind  that  he 
couldn't  have  anything  to  do  with  the  Customs,  or  if  he 
did,  that  it  was  no  wonder  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  had  been 
driven  to  swearing  in  the  saloon.  I  was  glad  now  that  his 
nose  was  bleeding,  and  I  turned  my  back  upon  him,  be 
cause  it  was  the  most  emphatic  gesture  I  could  think  of. 
But  as  I  faced  round  the  other  way,  wondering  if  my 
luggage  would  ever  come,  another  man  pushed  through 
the  "  B's  "  who  had  got  their  boxes,  and  almost  bounded 
into  a  foot  of  unoccupied  space  in  front  of  me. 

"  Lady  Bulkeley?  "  he  shot  at  me,  like  history  repeat 
ing  itself;  only  he  pronounced  me  as  if  my  name  were 
founded  on  my  size  and  weight. 

This  time  I  didn't  answer.  I  simply  stood  at  bay,  and 
stared,  trying  to  look  as  much  like  Mother  as  possible. 
But  the  new  man  didn't  seem  to  mind  this  in  the  least,  so 
apparently  my  effort  was  not  a  success. 


ABOUT    NEW    YORK  57 

"  I'm  The  Evening  Bat,"  he  remarked  hurriedly,  with 
an  air  of  valuing  his  time  at  so  much  a  second. 

I  was  sorry  he  was  a  bat,  for  I've  always  been  fond  of 
bats,  they  are  such  soft,  grey,  velvet  things ;  and  I  should 
have  liked  to  tell  him  that  he  was  much  more  like  a  chicken 
hawk,  only  that  would  have  been  vulgar;  and,  besides,  I 
didn't  intend  to  pose  as  chicken  to  his  hawk.  By  way  of 
not  letting  myself  be  gobbled  up,  I  remained  silent;  but 
I  couldn't  help  starting  when  a  voice  behind  me  exclaimed : 
"Ah,  there,  my  chappie.  You're  welcome  to  the  milk. 
I've  skimmed  off  the  cream.  Ta,  ta." 

It  was  the  Flashlight  flashing  at  the  Evening  Bat. 

The  creature  was  not  blinded,  however.  He  seemed 
difficult  to  disconcert.  The  only  response  he  made  was  to 
grin,  and  push  his  hat  a  little  farther  back  on  his  head. 
An  inch  more,  and  it  must  have  slid  down  over  his  collar 
— which  was  so  low  in  the  neck  in  front  that  it  gave  me 
the  creeps. 

"  There's  plenty  of  milk  and  roses,  too,  I  guess,"  said  he, 
staring  in  such  a  way  that  I  blushed,  and  was  vexed  with 
myself  for  blushing.  I  peered  anxiously  about,  hoping  to 
see  a  face  I  knew,  even  ever  so  slightly,  which  might  be 
summoned  to  the  rescue.  But  all  the  "  B's  "  were  passion 
ately  minding  their  own  business,  and  while  I  was  wishing 
that  Mr.  Doremus  began  with  a  "  B  "  instead  of  a  "  D," 
I  caught  the  eyes  of  a  man  looking  straight  at  me.  The 
very  nicest  eyes,  and  with  an  expression  in  them  that  filled 
me  with  joy! 

They  said :  "  Do  let  me  come  and  get  rid  of  that  fellow 
for  you,"  and  mine  said :  "  Yes — yes — yes.  Please  come 
at  once." 

So  the  Eyes  came,  without  waiting  for  more;  and  it 
was  the  Hero  of  the  steerage  who  brought  them.  That 
was  the  reason  I'd  telegraphed  "  yes,  yes  " ;  for  I  thought : 


58   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

"  He  saved  a  little  boy,  why  shouldn't  I  trust  him,  without 
an  introduction,  to  save  me?" 

"  Look  here,"  said  the  bronze  man  to  the  Evening  Bat, 
"I've  got  just  five  minutes  to  spare.  You  can  have  them 
if  you  like." 

The  Evening  Bat  looked  at  him,  crossly  at  first;  then 
his  sharp  little  face  seemed  turning  into  a  point  of  ad 
miration.  "By  Jeftosaphat !  "  he  ejaculated.  "Home 
made  goods  will  get  the  preference  over  British  this  time, 
duty  or  no  duty." 

I  couldn't  think  what  either  of  them  meant,  though  at 
first  I  was  afraid  my  man  intended  the  other  to  under 
stand  that  the  five  minutes  would  be  devoted  to  knocking 
him  down,  or  something  else  violent,  as  a  punishment  for 
impertinence  to  a  defenceless  foreigner.  But  my  mind  was 
almost  instantly  relieved,  for  the  two  men  walked  off  to 
gether  quite  amicably,  and  stood  talking  at  a  distance. 

A  moment  later,  one  of  my  boxes  went  by,  looking  very 
fat  and  friendly,  on  the  shoulders  of  a  porter,  who  ap 
parently  had  no  head.  I  rushed  out,  and  seized  it — not  the 
head,  but  the  box;  so  there  was  something  encouraging; 
but  I  had  two  pieces  of  luggage  to  wait  for  still. 

Most  of  the  other  "  B's  "  were  more  fortunate  about 
getting  their  things;  nevertheless,  they  seemed  far  from 
easy  in  their  minds,  and  though  they  protested  almost  tear 
fully  that  they'd  nothing  whatever  to  declare,  stern  per 
sons  in  uniform  stirred  up  their  boxes  as  I  used  to  do  with 
the  nursery  pudding,  when  all  the  plums  had  sunk  to  the 
bottom. 

I  was  very  tired  and  very  hot,  hotter  than  I'd  supposed 
people  could  be,  except  in  a  Turkish  bath;  and  I  was  be 
ginning  to  be  hungry  too,  for  I'd  lunched  principally  off 
the  Statue  of  Liberty  and  Sky-scrapers,  which  were  more 
filling  than  lasting,  as  a  meal. 


ABOUT    NEW    YORK  59 

I  fanned  myself  with  my  handkerchief  as  well  as  I  could, 
and  felt  sure  I  was  slowly  getting  appendicitis;  because 
whenever  Americans  feel  uncomfortable  in  any  way,  it 
seems  almost  certain  to  turn  eventually  into  that,  proba 
bly  on  account  of  the  climate.  Would  my  other  boxes 
never  come?  I  thought.  Most  of  the  "  B's  "  were  going 
home.  They  had  homes,  lucky  people,  and  if  they  liked, 
they  could  presently  have  tea. 

"World   without   tea, 
Ah  me!" 

When  I  was  small,  and  my  nurse  talked  on  Sundays 
about  heaven  and  hell,  making  the  one  sound  incredibly 
dull,  the  other  incredibly  painful,  I  used  to  think  that  I'd 
rather  go  to  neither,  but  just  be  stuffed,  like  Mother's 
Blenheim,  Beau  Brummel,  whose  soul  I  fancied  had  leave 
to  stop  in  his  body  so  long  as  moth  and  rust  did  not  cor 
rupt.  He  seemed  rather  out  of  things,  though,  poor  dear, 
standing  forever  in  the  same  position  in  a  glass  case,  with 
one  paw  up  begging  for  something  which  nobody  gave, 
while  the  years  dragged  on;  and  I'd  begun  to  feel  as  if 
I  were  falling  into  his  state,  when  I  was  roused  from  a 
stupid  dream  by  the  man  of  the  steerage  suddenly  loom 
ing  over  me. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  said  he,  taking  off  his  hat,  and 
speaking  in  a  nice  American  voice,  as  nice  for  a  man  as 
Sally  Woodburn's  is  for  a  woman.  "  Please  don't  sup 
pose  I  mean  to  be  rude  or  intrusive,  but  I  wanted  to  tell 
you  that  I  think  you  won't  be  annoyed  again;  and — just 
one  thing  more.  May  I  thank  you  for  your  goodness  on 
shipboard?  It  brightened  what  would  otherwise  have 
been  a  grim  experience." 

Blind  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  to  pronounce  this  man  not  a 
gentleman,  just  because  some  strange  circumstances  had 


60      LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

forced  him  to  travel  in  the  steerage !  I  did  wish  that,  with 
out  his  knowing  it,  I  could  have  slipped  into  his  pocket 
my  thirty  pounds! 

"  Oh,  I  did  nothing,"  I  answered.  "  It  was  the  other 
people  who  did  everything — the  little  that  was  done.  It's 
I  who  have  to  thank  you,  for  taking  that  person  away.  He 
and  the  other,  who  came  just  before,  were  so  rude." 

"  They  didn't  mean  to  be  rude,"  he  said.  "  They 
wanted  you  to  tell  them  something  which  they  could  put 
into  their  papers,  and  they  live  by  doing  that  kind  of 
thing.  I  did  the  best  I  could  with  them,  but  I  wish  I  could 
have  saved  you  from  being  annoyed  in  the  beginning.  I 
hesitated  at  first,  for  fear  you  might  misunderstand,  and 
think  me  as  bad  as  they  were;  but  I  wish  I  hadn't  now." 

"  After  what  I  saw  you  do,  at  sea,  I  couldn't  possibly 
have  misunderstood,"  I  said. 

"  Thank  you  for  saying  that,"  he  returned,  "  though 
for  what  I  did  then,  I  don't  deserve  any  praise.  It  was 
done  on  the  impulse;  and  I'm  used  to  salt  water.  As  a 
child,  I  lived  close  to  it  for  a  time,  in  California,  and  swim 
ming  came  almost  as  natural  as  walking.  But  I'm  not  here 
to  talk  about  myself.  It  was  only  to  tell  you  how  grateful 
I  was,  and  am,  and  shall  continue  to  be,  for  your  kindness 
on  the  ship.  I  couldn't  go  without  speaking  of  this ;  and 
there's  something  now  I'd  like  to  ask.  You  won't  be 
offended?" 

"  If  it's  something  you  want  to  tell  me,  I  know  it  isn't 
the  sort  of  thing  which  could  offend,"  I  said ;  but  I  didn't 
say  it  as  calmly  as  it  looks  when  written.  I  stammered  a 
little,  and  got  the  words  tangled  up ;  and  I  felt  my  face 
growing  hotter  than  ever. 

"  I  thank  you  again.  It's  only  this.  If,  while  you're 
over  on  this  side  the  water,  there's  ever  any  way  in  which 
a  man — a  man  who'd  be  as  respectful  as  your  footman, 


ABOUT    NEW    YORK  61 

and  loyal  as  your  friend — could  possibly  serve  you — I 
wish  you  would  let  me  be  that  man.  I  know  it  seems  now 
as  if  such  a  thing  couldn't  happen;  but  nothing's  quite 
impossible  in  this  queer  world,  and — and  anyhow  I  shall 
always  be  ready.  You  could  trust  me " 

"  I  know  that ! "  I  couldn't  resist  breaking  in. 

"  I'm — employed  for  the  present  at  a  club  in  New 
York.  If  you'd  send  word  to  Jim  Brett,  at  the  Man 
hattan  Club,  there's  nothing  under  the  sun  that  Jim  Brett 
wouldn't  do  for  you,  from  finding  a  lost  dog,  to  taking 
a  message  across  the  world." 

"  First  I  must  catch  my  dog  before  I  can  lose  him," 
I  answered,  laughing.  "  But  if  I  do,  or — or  there's  any 
thing  else,  I  shan't  forget." 

"  That's  a  true  promise,  then ;  and  I  have  to  thank  you 
for  the  third  time.  Now,  I'm  not  going  to  trouble  you 
any  longer.  Good-bye." 

Without  stopping  to  think  who  he  was,  or  who  I  was, 
I  held  out  my  hand,  and  his  good-looking  brown  face  grew 
red.  He  took  the  hand,  pressed  it  hard,  once ;  dropped  it 
abruptly;  turned  on  his  heel  and  walked  away,  without 
looking  back. 

I  was  so  interested  in  going  over  the  conversation  in  my 
mind,  that  I  forgot  to  feel  like  Beau  Brummel  with  one 
paw  up  in  his  glass  case ;  and  though  I  daresay  ten  min 
utes  had  passed,  it  hardly  seemed  two,  when  a  wonderful 
little  black  image  in  the  shape  of  a  boy  came  sidling  up 
to  me,  all  rolling  white  eyes,  and  red  grin,  like  a  nice  New 
foundland  puppy.  He  had  some  newspapers  tucked  under 
his  arm,  but  in  his  hand  was  a  small  basket  of  peaches 
almost  too  beautiful  to  be  real.  But  then,  weren't  they — 
and  wasn't  he — part  of  my  dream? 

He  grinned  so  much  more  that  I  was  afraid  his  round 
black  face  would  break  into  two  separate  halves,  and 


62   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

looking  at  me  with  his  woolly  head  on  one  side,  he  thrust 
out  the  basket. 

"  Fur  you,  missy,"  said  he,  with  a  funny  little  accent, 
for  all  the  world  like  Sally  Woodburn's. 

"  They  can't  be  for  me.  There  must  be  a  mistake," 
said  I,  wishing  there  wasn't,  for  the  peaches  did  look 
delicious ;  and  there  were  two  rosebuds  lying  on  top  of 
the  basket ;  one  pink,  the  other  white.  "  I  don't  know 
anyone  who  could  have  sent  them." 

"  The  gent  knows  you,  you  bet,  missy,"  replied  the 
image.  "  He  guv  me  a  quarter  and  axed  if  I  know'd  my 
alphabet  'nuf  to  find  letter  '  B,'  an'  tote  dese  yere  to 
the  prettiest  young  lady  I'd  ever  seed.  Most  wite  ladies, 
dey  looks  all  jes'  alike,  to  me,  but  you's  different,  missy; 
an'  I  reckon  de  tings  must  be  fur  you." 

I  had  a  horrible  vision  of  this  compliment  proceeding 
from  The  Flashlight  or  The  Evening  Bat.  "  What  was 
the  gentleman  like?  "  I  asked. 

"  Like  mos'  any  gent,  missy,  'cept  that  he  was  powerful 
tall,  an'  I  reckon  if  he  keeps  right  on  like  he's  doin'  now, 
he'll  get  mos'  as  brown  as  me  some  day." 

Then  I  knew  that  I  was  safe  in  taking  the  present;  so 
I  did,  and  gave  the  comical  black  image  two  or  three  little 
round  white  metal  things  I'd  got  from  the  purser  when 
I  changed  some  English  money.  I  didn't  know  how  much 
they  were,  and  they  looked  ridiculously  small,  but  he 
seemed  pleased. 

When  he  had  run  off,  I  turned  my  attention  to  the 
peaches.  They  were  so  big  that  there  was  room  only  for 
four  in  the  basket,  and  they  seemed  dreadfully  pathetic 
considering  from  whom  they  had  come. 

That  poor  fellow  must  be  almost  penniless  or  he  wouldn't 
have  been  in  the  steerage ;  yet  he  had  bought  peaches  for 
me,  and  given  a  "  quarter  " — whatever  that  was — to  his 


ABOUT    NEW    YORK  63 

quaint  black  doll  of  a  messenger.  I  could  have  cried; 
nevertheless,  I  ate  two  of  the  peaches,  and  reluctantly 
presented  the  other  two,  which  I  couldn't  possibly  eat, 
to  a  gloomy  "  B  "  child,  sitting  on  a  shawl-strap. 

As  if  for  a  reward  of  virtue,  just  as  I  had  disposed  of 
my  leavings,  and  stuck  the  roses  into  my  belt,  the  last 
of  the  luggage  arrived.  There  were  two  Custom  House 
men  near  to  choose  from,  and  as  I've  heard,  in  choosing 
between  two  evils  it's  better  to  choose  the  less,  I  smiled 
beseechingly  at  the  smaller  man  who  had  just  crammed 
a  pile  of  lace  blouses  into  the  box  of  a  lady  with  nervous 
prostration. 

Whether  he  was  sated  with  cruelty,  or  whether  he  was 
naturally  of  an  angelic  disposition,  I  shall  probably  never 
know  now ;  but  the  fact  remains  that,  instead  of  turning 
out  the  Fiend  I'd  been  led  to  expect,  he  was  one  of  the 
most  considerate  men  I've  ever  met.  He  wouldn't  even 
let  me  unlock  my  own  boxes,  but  took  the  keys  and  opened 
them  for  me  himself.  (Didn't  an  executioner  braid  the 
hair  of  some  queen  whose  head  he  was  going  to  chop  off? 
I  must  look  the  incident  up,  when  I  have  time.)  Anyway, 
I  thought  of  it  when  the  Custom  House  man  was  being 
so  polite;  but  the  analogy  didn't  go  any  farther,  for  my 
head  never  came  off  at  all,  and  two  of  the  boxes  remained 
unopened. 

"  You're  English,  aren't  you  ?  "  he  asked,  and  when 
I  said  yes,  and  that  I  was  only  on  a  short  visit,  he  treated 
my  belongings  as  if  they  were  sacred.  If  he  disturbed 
anything,  he  laid  it  back  nicely,  keeping  up  a  running 
conversation  as  he  went  on.  I  told  him  that  Englishwomen 
might  bring  home  all  the  pretty  clothes  they  liked  from 
other  countries,  and  that  I  considered  it  most  ungallant 
in  such  a  chivalrous  nation  as  America  to  deny  ladies  a 
few  Paris  dresses. 


64   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

"  Do  you  happen  to  know,  miss,  what's  the  income- 
tax  in  your  country  ?  "  he  asked,  tenderly  putting  back 
some  yellow  hairpins  which  had  fallen  out  of  a  box  of 
mine. 

"  Dear  me,  no,"  I  exclaimed.  "  But  I  think  it's  some 
times  more  than  a  shilling  in  the  pound;  I've  heard  my 
brother  say  so ;  and  as  for  the  death  duties,  it's  more  than 
your  life's  worth  to  die." 

"  A-ah !  "  said  the  nice  man.  "  We  haven't  got  any 
income-tax  on  this  side,  and  folks  can  die  in  peace,  when 
ever  they  please.  I  guess  that  kind  of  evens  things  up, 
don't  it?  " 

I  didn't  know  what  to  answer,  so  I  thanked  him  for  his 
kindness,  and  we  parted  the  best  of  friends. 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay  appeared  so  quickly  afterwards,  that  it 
almost  seemed  as  if  she  must  have  been  lying  in  wait. 
She  was  looking  pale  and  shattered,  and  Louise,  following 
close  behind,  was  positively  haggard.  Only  Sally  had 
weathered  the  storm  without  being  outwardly  the  worse 
for  wear;  but  even  she  didn't  look  as  good-natured  as 
usual. 

"  How  have  you  got  along,  you  poor,  deserted  dar 
ling?  "  affectionately  enquired  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  undis 
mayed  by  a  fixed  gaze  from  Sally,  which  apparently 
signified  reproach. 

"  It  wasn't  very  bad,  and  I've  quite  enjoyed  myself," 
I  replied,  forgetting  some  tedious  moments  in  the  light 
of  others  not  tedious,  and  hoping  that  the  roses  in  my 
belt  might  pass  unnoticed. 

Fortunately  they  did,  otherwise  I  should  have  been  in 
a  difficulty ;  for  I  should  have  hated  to  vulgarise  the  little 
episode  by  putting  it  into  story  form  for  Mrs.  Ess  Kay; 
and  presumably  roses  have  not  been  taught  to  grow  wild 
on  the  New  York  docks,  although  they  say  Americans 


ABOUT    NEW    YORK  65 

are  so  very  luxurious  in  their  tastes  one  would  hardly 
be  surprised  at  anything. 

A  beautiful  electric  carriage,  bigger  than  a  brougham, 
was  waiting  for  us,  and  we  left  Louise,  with  a  butler  or 
some  other  man  servant  out  of  livery,  to  wrestle  with  the 
luggage,  and  bring  it  in  cabs  (which  they  called 
"hacks"),  up  to  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  house  in  New  York, 
where  I  knew  she  meant  to  stop  for  a  few  days  before 
going  on  to  Newport. 

The  minute  we  drove  away  from  the  Docks  I  began  to 
notice  dozens  of  things  which  made  me  tremendously 
conscious  that  I  was  in  a  foreign  country.  One  would 
think,  as  so  many  of  these  people  were  English,  or  any 
way,  British,  before  they  were  Americans,  that  their  build 
ings  and  everything  else  would  be  enough  like  to  remind 
one  of  home.  But  each  street  we  turned  into  showed  me 
that  this  isn't  at  all  true  in  New  York.  There  are  bits 
like  Paris — at  least  you  think  so,  on  a  superficial  glance 
— but  nothing  in  the  faintest  degree  like  London. 

Something  in  the  air  too,  made  me  feel  excited,  as  it 
does  in  Paris.  Sparks  of  electricity  snapped  in  my  veins, 
and  I  had  a  presentiment  of  interesting  things  that  must 
surely  happen. 

I've  always  been  very  sensitive  to  smells,  which  can 
make  me  joyful  or  miserable,  just  as  music  does.  Vic  says 
I  oughtn't  to  tell  people  this,  as  it  signifies  I'm  still  in 
close  touch  with  brute  creation.  But  I  don't  much  mind 
if  I  am,  for  so  many  animals  are  nicer  than  we  are;  dogs 
and  horses,  for  instance ;  and  then  one  has  to  acknowledge, 
whether  one  likes  or  not,  that  a  monkey  is  a  kind  of  poor 
relation.  Each  place  I've  ever  visited  has  its  own  smell 
for  me,  and  even  houses  and  people.  I  would  know  the 
smell  of  Battlemead  towers,  if  I  were  taken  there  by  wind 
ing  ways,  with  my  eyes  blindfolded.  It's  the  smell  of  old 


66   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

oak,  and  potpourri,  and  books  and  chintz,  and  autumn 
leaves  and  pine  trees,  mixed  together.  Mother  smells  like 
a  tea  rose,  and  Vic  like  a  wax  doll.  London  has  a  rich, 
heavy  scent,  which  makes  you  feel  as  if  you  had  a  great 
deal  of  money  and  wanted  to  spend  it,  but  not  in  a  hurry. 
The  smell  of  Paris  makes  you  want  to  laugh,  and  clap 
your  hands  and  go  to  the  theatre.  The  smell  of  Rome 
makes  you  feel  as  if  you  wished  to  be  very  beautiful,  and 
move  to  the  slow  accompaniment  of  a  magnificent  church 
organ,  with  the  Vox  Humana  stop  drawn  out.  But  New 
York — the  smell  of  New  York !  How  shall  I  describe  the 
sensation  it  gave  me,  as  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  electric  carriage 
smoothly  spun  me  up  town?  The  heavy  feeling  of  home 
sickness  which  I  had  had  on  the  ship  for  the  last  few  days 
was  gone;  and  instead  I  felt  a  wild  sense  of  exhilaration, 
as  if  I'd  come  dashing  home  after  a  glorious  run  with  the 
hounds,  and  plunged  into  a  cold  bath  with  two  bottles  of 
Eau  de  Cologne  poured  into  the  water. 

It  was  amazingly  hot,  but  the  breeze  gave  a  hint  of  the 
sea,  and  every  shop  and  house  we  passed  seemed  to  keep 
spices  stored  away,  for  the  breeze  to  blow  over. 

Even  the  old-fashioned  houses,  no  higher  than  those  in 
London,  were  as  different  from  ours  as  possible;  and  it 
was  extraordinary  to  see  people — nicely  dressed  women, 
and  pretty  girls — perched  on  the  front  steps  under  awn 
ings,  without  so  much  as  a  pocket-handkerchief  lawn 
between  them  and  the  street.  Persons  of  that  class  at  home 
would  be  far  too  shy  to  lounge  about  and  be  stared  at, 
not  only  by  the  neighbours,  but  by  twenty  strangers  a 
minute;  yet  here  they  sat  on  rugs,  and  read,  or  did  em 
broidery,  or  swung  back  and  forth  in  chairs  that  rocked 
like  cradles,  paying  no  more  attention  to  the  passers  than 
if  they  had  been  flies. 

By  and  by  we  came  out  of  the  quiet  streets  walled  in 


ABOUT    NEW    YORK  67 

with  monotonous  rows  of  red  brick  or  brown  stone  houses, 
into  a  scene  of  terror.  It  was  a  street,  too;  but  what  a 
street!  I  thought  that  I'd  grown  accustomed  to  motor 
ing  through  traffic,  for  once  Stan  took  me  in  his  Panhard, 
all  the  way  from  Battlemead  to  Pall  Mall,  where  he  stood 
me  a  very  jolly  luncheon  at  the  Carlton  Hotel,  but  that 
experience  was  nothing  to  this.  I  felt  a  little  jumpy  with 
Stan  when  we  shot  between  omnibuses  in  a  space  which 
looked  twice  too  narrow,  and  once  when  I  thought  a  fright 
fully  tall  horse  was  going  to  bite  off  my  hat;  but  I  soon 
got  used  to  it. 

If  I  were  driven  every  day  of  my  life  for  a  year, 
through  this  terrible  street  in  New  York,  though,  I  should 
be  no  more  used  to  it  on  the  last  day  than  on  the  first.  The 
only  change  in  me  at  the  end  of  that  time  would  be  in  my 
hair,  which  would  have  turned  snow  white,  and  be  stand 
ing  up  permanently  all  over  my  head  like  Striimpel-Peter's, 
only  worse. 

London  roars — a  monotonous,  cannon-balls-in-the-cellar 
roar,  with  just  a  light  tinkle  of  hansom  cabs  sprinkled 
over  the  top  of  the  solid  sound;  but  that  great  straight 
street  into  which  we  suddenly  flashed  had  no  solid  sound. 
It  shrieked  in  short,  sharp  yells,  made  up  of  a  dozen  dis 
tinct  noises,  each  one  louder  and  more  insistent  than  the 
other. 

There  were  trams  and  tram  bells,  and  motors  and  car 
riages,  and  over  all  an  appalling  thunder  of  trains  rush 
ing  to  and  fro  above  our  heads,  on  lines  roofing  the  entire 
street,  built  upon  iron  stilts.  Every  minute  they  swooped 
by,  running  north  and  south,  and  I  trembled  lest  they 
should  leap  their  tracks  and  crush  us  into  powder. 

"  It's  only  the  Elevated,  deah,"  said  Sally,  pitying  my 
agitation,  "  and  it's  never  fallen  down  yet,  so  I  don't  be 
lieve  it  will  to-day.  You  shall  take  a  ride  with  me  if 


68   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

Cousin  Catherine  will  let  you,  which  she  probably  won't. 
You  can't  think  what  fun  it  is  shooting  past  the  windows 
of  the  houses;  just  like  glancing  into  an  exciting  story 
book  you  know  you'll  never  have  a  chance  to  finish.  You 
do  get  a  peep  into  tragedies  and  comedies,  sometimes." 

"  My  goodness !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  I'm  thankful  I  don't 
have  to  live  in  one  of  those  houses.  It  must  be  impossible 
ever  to  take  a  bath,  or  to  get  engaged,  properly." 

Fortunately  for  my  peace  of  mind,  we  didn't  stop  very 
long  in  that  fierce  street,  but  cut  across  again,  and  came 
out  in  Fifth  Avenue,  of  which  one  seems  to  be  born  know 
ing  a  little  more  than  of  other  streets  in  America.  Just 
as  almost  everyone  in  English  novels  lives  in  Park  Lane, 
so  all  the  New  Yorkers  you  read  of  live  in  Fifth  Avenue ; 
and  I  should  have  been  disappointed  if  Mrs.  Ess  Kay 
hadn't,  because  in  that  case  I  should  eventually  have  to  go 
home  without  studying  home  life  in  the  States  from  the 
right  standpoint. 

At  first,  I  didn't  see  where  the  grand  houses  I'd  heard 
of,  kept  themselves,  for  everywhere  were  smart  shops,  and 
public  buildings,  and — so  close  now  that  we  could  put 
down  our  sunshades — mountainous  "  sky-scrapers."  The 
shops  were  beautiful,  though  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  apologised  for 
them  by  saying  that  it  was  out  of  season,  and  I'd  never 
seen  so  much  brilliance  of  colour  or  variety  in  a  street.  I 
tried  to  search  for  the  cause  of  this  effect,  but  I  couldn't 
define  it.  Perhaps  it  was  partly  the  clearness  of  the  at 
mosphere,  but  there  was  a  great  deal  more  than  that. 
Everything  you  passed  seemed  to  be  pink,  or  pale  green  or 
gold,  or  ivory  white,  or  ultramarine  blue;  yet  when  you 
really  thought  it  out  detail  by  detail,  it  wasn't.  And 
though  I'd  considered  the  sky-scrapers  awful,  from  a  dis 
tance,  spinning  along  at  their  feet  I  couldn't  deny  them  a 
fantastic  kind  of  attractiveness. 


ABOUT    NEW   YORK  69 

At  our  rate  of  speed,  I  hadn't  to  wait  many  minutes  for 
the  grand  Fifth  Avenue  houses;  and  oh,  poor  London — 
poor,  dear  London !  I  wanted  to  fly  back  and  tear  down 
Buckingham  Palace. 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay  had  always  talked  about  her  "  New  York 
home,"  which  made  it  sound  rather  small  and  modest,  so  I 
was  surprised  when  we  stopped  before  a  huge,  square  pile, 
built  of  rich-looking,  rough  brown  stones,  so  nearly  the 
colour  of  a  Christmas  plum  pudding  that  it  made  me 
hungrier  than  ever  to  look  at  it.  The  house  is  trimmed 
with  three  wide  bands  of  carving,  made  of  the  same  kind 
of  stone;  and  there  are  carved  bronze  railings  and  lamps 
on  the  porch;  and  the  front  door  is  carved,  too,  like  the 
door  of  a  cathedral. 

We  were  let  into  a  vestibule,  all  coloured  mosaic  and 
things;  and  that  opened  into  a  big,  square,  glassed-over 
garden,  with  a  great  marble  fountain  playing  in  the  middle. 
I  never  saw  such  a  wonderful  place  in  my  life,  but  until  I 
got  used  to  it,  I  couldn't  help  feeling  that  it  was  more  like 
a  splendid  foreign  hotel,  than  a  mere  house.  The  garden 
isn't  a  real  garden,  when  you  come  to  examine  it,  for 
it's  paved  with  rare  stones  of  different  colours,  like  the 
jewels  in  Aladdin's  Cave;  but  all  round  the  fountain  beau 
tiful  flowers  are  growing,  and  pink  and  white  water  lilies 
float  in  the  marble  basin.  There  are  orange  trees  in  pots, 
and  a  forest  of  tall  palms,  all  of  which  are  reflected  and 
repeated  over  and  over  again  in  the  mirrors  of  which  the 
walls  are  made ;  and  on  the  little  tables  standing  about 
here  and  there  among  groups  of  inlaid  chairs  are  bowls 
overflowing  with  roses.  The  roof  is  a  skylight,  over  which 
creepers  have  been  trained,  so  that  the  light  which  filters 
through  is  a  lovely  green.  No  doors  are  visible  at  first 
glance,  but  when  you  are  initiated,  all  you  have  to  do  is  to 
walk  up  to  the  mirror-wall,  find  a  gold  button,  press  it, 


70   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

and  a  door  opens  into  a  room  as  marvellous  as  the  fountain 
court,  round  which,  it  seems,  all  the  rest  of  the  house  is 
built. 

"  We'll  have  something  to  drink  here,"  said  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay,  "  before  we  take  off  our  things."  So  we  all  sat 
down,  among  the  palms  and  orange  blossoms,  and  a  deli 
cious  sense  of  peace  after  storm  stole  over  us  with  the  cool 
ness  and  the  green  dusk,  and  the  perfume  of  flowers. 

I  supposed  that  "  something  to  drink  "  at  this  time  of 
day  meant  tea;  but  almost  immediately  a  footman  came 
through  the  glass  wall,  carrying  a  tray  with  nothing  on  it 
except  tall  tumblers.  There  were  straws  sticking  out  of 
the  tumblers,  and  as  the  man  moved,  I  could  hear  a  faint 
tinkle  of  ice. 

For  a  minute,  I  was  bitterly  disappointed,  because  the 
thought  of  tea  had  supported  me  for  hours.  But  when 
I  tasted  the  stuff  in  my  glass  I  wasn't  disappointed  any 
longer.  It  had  two  or  three  strawberries,  some  bits  of 
pineapple,  and  a  white  grape  bobbing  about  on  top,  and 
it  was  full  of  chopped  ice.  I  don't  know  what  it  was,  for 
nobody  mentioned  it's  name,  and  I  was  ashamed  to  ask, 
lest  it  might  seem  too  ignorant;  but  it  was  good,  and 
tasted  as  if  it  might  have  a  little  wine  in  it,  mixed  with 
fizzy  water  and  other  things.  When  I  had  drunk  mine,  I 
felt  a  different  girl;  quite  merry,  and  so  friendly  towards 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay.  I  had  never  thought  her  such  a  nice 
woman.  I  laughed  at  almost  everything  that  she  and 
Sally  said,  and  I  said  some  rather  funny  things  myself. 
Still,  I'm  not  sure  that  as  a  regular  thing,  I  wouldn't 
rather  have  tea. 

We  sat  resting  for  some  time,  though  I  wasn't  tired  at 
all  now.  I  could  have  run  a  mile,  but  suddenly  I  felt  a 
little  sleepy,  and  I  was  glad  when  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  proposed 
to  go  to  our  rooms.  Leaving  the  fountain  court,  we  came 


ABOUT    NEW   YORK  71 

into  a  hall,  hung  with  tapestry ;  and  from  it  a  wide  stair 
way  led  us  up  to  a  gallery,  lighted  from  the  top,  which 
runs  all  round  the  house,  with  the  doors  of  the  bedrooms 
opening  off  from  it. 

Mine  is  so  gorgeous  that  I  haven't  known  one  thoroughly 
comfy  moment  in  it,  since  I  came,  except  at  night  when  I'm 
asleep. 

One  would  think,  as  Battlemead  is  ranked  among  the 
finest  old  Tudor  places  in  England,  and  people  come  on 
Thursdays  and  give  shillings  to  see  it  (a  very  good  thing 
for  us,  though  it's  extremely  inconvenient,  as  it  pays  for 
all  the  gardens  and  all  the  servants'  wages)  that  it  would 
be  grander  than  quite  a  new  house,  in  a  country  like 
America.  But  Battlemead,  in  its  palmiest  days,  must 
have  been  shabby  beside  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  "  home  "  in  New 
York. 

Our  grandest  bedroom, — the  one  where  Queen  Elizabeth 
slept — is  quite  a  dull  old  hole  compared  to  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's 
splendid  room.  Mine,  at  home,  has  all  the  furniture  cov 
ered  with  faded  chintz,  and  the  curtains  are  made  of  plain 
white  dimity.  But  I  love  the  deep  window  seats  where  I 
can  curl  up  among  cushions,  with  a  cataract  of  roses 
veiling  the  picture  of  the  terrace  with  its  ivy-covered 
stone  balustrade,  the  sun-dial,  the  two  white  peacocks,  and 
far  away,  the  park  with  a  blue  mist  among  the  trees. 
And  I  haven't  learned  yet  to  love  my  beautiful  room  at 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay's,  though  I  admire  it  immensely — admire  to 
the  verge  of  awe. 

It's  pink  and  white  and  silver.  The  carpet  is  pink,  and 
feels  like  moss,  as  you  step.  The  wall  is  covered  with 
pink  and  silver  brocade,  except  where  there  are  panels 
with  Watteau-like  pictures.  The  curtains  are  foamy  lace, 
with  the  pink  and  silver  brocade  falling  over  them.  The 
furniture  looks  as  if  it  were  made  of  ivory ;  there's  a  mirror 


72   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

in  three  parts,  reaching  from  the  floor  half  way  to  the 
ceiling,  so  that  you  see  yourself  in  front,  and  two  profiles, 
like  astral  bodies,  things  which  I've  always  wanted  to 
cultivate,  as  they  would  be  so  nice  for  trying  on  dresses,  or 
making  calls  on  dull  people.  On  the  dressing-table  is 
another  mirror,  an  oval  one,  framed  with  pink  roses,  each 
of  which  has  an  electric  light  hidden  in  its  heart ;  and  the 
bedspread  is  of  pink  and  silver  brocade  to  match  the 
hangings,  with  a  large,  hard  roll  like  an  ossified  bolster, 
at  the  top. 

I  believe  it's  that  bed  more  than  anything  else,  which 
makes  me  feel  that  it's  always  Sunday  in  my  room  at  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay's.  I'm  used  to  old-fashioned,  ruffly  pillows  and 
a  plain  white  coverlet  smelling  of  lavender,  on  which  I  can 
flop  down  whenever  I  like,  to  read  a  novel  or  to  have  a  nice 
little  "  weep."  But  there's  no  flopping  on  this  gorgeous 
pink  and  silver  expanse,  and  it's  small  consolation  to  know 
that  no  queen  of  England  ever  had  one  as  handsome. 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  Sally  escorted  me  to  my  room,  when 
I  came  to  it  first.  After  I'd  admired  everything  enough 
to  satisfy  them,  I  was  taken  to  see  the  bathroom  adjoining, 
and  then  a  kind  of  wardrobe  room  opening  out  of  that. 
I  was  almost  prostrated  by  the  magnificence  of  both,  which 
pleased  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  very  much ;  and  in  the  grand  ward 
robe  room,  smelling  deliciously,  though  faintly,  of  cedar, 
my  poor  boxes — already  arrived — looked  mean  and  insig 
nificant.  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  and  Sally's  huge  "  Innovations  " 
would  have  been  much  more  appropriate  than  my  dress- 
baskets,  which  had  been  squashed  into  lop-sided  deformity 
under  heavier  things,  in  the  hold. 

Louise  was  on  the  scene  armed  with  my  keys  and  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay  wouldn't  hear  of  letting  me  do  anything  myself. 
"  Now,  I'll  explain  why  I  had  to  desert  you  on  the  dock," 
she  said.  "  Or  perhaps  I  needn't  explain.  If  you  watch 


ABOUT    NEW    YORK  73 

Louise  unpacking  for  a  few  minutes,  you'll  see  for  your 
self.  And  I  do  hope,  sweet  child,  that  you'll  excuse  my 
taking  a  liberty." 

This  made  me  curious.  Louise  opened  one  of  my  boxes 
which  had  been  labelled  "  Not  Wanted,"  and  I  could  hardly 
believe  my  eyes  when  she  lifted  out  an  exquisite  poppy- 
coloured  chiffon,  embroidered  with  sprays  of  golden  holly 
and  berries  made  of  some  gleaming  red  jewel. 

"  Why,  there's  been  some  extraordinary  mistake ! "  I 
exclaimed.  "  That  can't  be  my  box.  I've  no  such  dress." 
-"  I  know,  love,  but  I  have,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  "  and 
thanks  to  you,  I've  got  it,  and  several  others,  through  with 
out  paying  duty.  I  thought  you  wouldn't  mind,  you're 
such  a  dear  pet,  and  it's  been  such  an  accommodation. 
Not  that  I  care  about  the  money,  but  I  do  love  to  get  the 
best  of  those  Fiends  at  the  Custom  House,  and  I  have, 
for  once.  You  see,  it  was  like  this.  When  Louise  went 
to  the  baggage  room  to  get  out  some  things  for  you,  I 
had  them  put  in  my  trunks,  afterwards,  and  some  of  my 
dresses  changed  into  yours,  as  your  frocks  had  all  been 
worn  and  mine  hadn't.  I  told  Louise  to  put  my  things 
down  at  the  bottom,  some  in  each  of  your  trunks,  and  I 
was  pretty  sure  the  man  wouldn't  touch  them,  as  you're 
a  British  subject.  I  trusted  to  luck  that  you'd  be  too 
'cute  to  say  anything  and  give  me  away,  if  you  saw  the 
dresses  while  your  trunks  were  being  examined,  but  I  just 
hoped  he  wouldn't  dig  down  to  them.  I  dared  not  tell  you 
what  was  going  on,  as  Sally  said  I  ought  to,  because  if  I 
had  you  might  have  refused,  or  else  spoiled  everything  by 
being  self-conscious.  If  you'd  been  with  me,  the  Fiends 
might  have  caught  on  to  our  little  game,  they're  so  sus 
picious;  but  where  you  were,  they  never  suspected  any 
connection  between  us.  You're  just  a  Dear." 

I  had  been  a  Dear  in  spite  of  myself,  but  there  was  no 


74   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

use  in  making  a  fuss  now  the  Dearness  was  all  over,  what 
ever  I  might  have  done  if  I'd  known  beforehand  that  I 
was  to  be  a  cat's-paw.  Perhaps,  if  I  hadn't  been  given  the 
iced  stuff  with  the  strawberries,  I  might  have  been  crosser ; 
but  fortified  by  that,  I  lived  up  to  my  reputation  as  a  Dear, 
during  the  half  hour  of  the  unpacking. 

When  my  frocks  all  hung  in  a  row  like  Bluebeard's 
wives,  in  the  cedar  wardrobe,  and  I  was  left  alone  with  them 
at  last,  my  first  thought  was  to  plunge  my  imprisoned  roses 
in  water ;  my  second,  to  do  the  same  with  myself. 

The  hope  of  tea  (which  hadn't  been  fulfilled)  and  a 
bath  had  kept  me  alive  through  those  two  hot  hours  on  the 
dock;  and  now  I  could  choose  between  several  kinds  of 
bath,  each  one  more  luxurious  than  any  I  had  ever  known. 
At  home  there's  either  the  big  bath,  in  the  bathroom,  or 
there's  a  tub  in  your  bedroom,  so  it  doesn't  take  you  long 
to  make  up  your  mind  which  you  will  have.  But  here  there 
were  so  many  things  I  could  do,  that  I  grew  quite  con 
fused  among  them. 

There  was  the  big  bath,  so  big  that  two  of  our  big  ones 
at  Battlemead  could  have  gone  into  it;  and  instead  of 
climbing  ignominiously  in,  in  the  ordinary  way,  you  walked 
down  several  glittering  white  marble  steps.  It  was  very 
alluring,  but  as  the  marble  tank  was  so  vast,  I  feared 
I  might  have  to  spend  all  the  rest  of  the  afternoon  in 
getting  it  full  of  water.  It  seemed  impertinent  to  make  a 
convenience  of  such  a  splendid,  early  Roman  sort  of  re 
ceptacle  for  a  mere  five  minutes'  splash;  a  bath  of  such 
magnificence  ought,  I  felt,  to  be  what  Americans  call  a 
"  function  " ;  a  ceremony  for  which  you  would  prepare 
with  perfumed  ointments  and  ambergris,  and  protract  for 
half  a  day,  at  least,  not  to  be  wasteful.  Then  there  was 
the  vapour  bath,  which  you  took  in  a  kind  of  box,  with  a 
hole  for  your  head  to  stick  out ;  a  porcelain  sitz  bath ;  and 


ABOUT    NEW    YORK  75 

a  mysterious  shower  bath  into  which  you  secretively  re 
tired  behind  canvas  curtains,  shaped  like  a  sentry  box. 

I  dared  not  try  the  vapour,  for  fear  I  should  be  steamed, 
like  a  potato ;  the  sitz  seemed  as  inadequate  as  a  thwarted 
ambition ;  and  to  turn  on  the  shower  without  knowing  how 
much  it  could  do,  or  how  soon  it  could  be  stopped,  appeared 
a  desperate  adventure.  After  all,  I  thought,  it  was  less 
worrying  with  us.  Here,  whichever  thing  you  chose,  you 
would  probably  wish  you  had  had  the  other,  whereas  at 
home  you  did  what  you  could,  and  were  perfectly  sat 
isfied. 

I  decided  that  I  would  toss  up  a  coin;  heads,  the  big 
marble  tank;  tails,  the  shower.  It  came  tails,  and  I  had 
a  dreadful  qualm,  but  noblesse  oblige;  one  must  be  sport 
ing.  So  I  was ;  only  the  hot  water  wouldn't  come,  and  ap 
parently  there  was  ice  in  the  cold,  which  wouldn't  stop 
coming,  and  it  was  very  violent.  I  screamed  once,  and 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  Sally  and  Louise  ran  to  the  door,  which 
was  embarrassing ;  but  fortunately,  I'd  locked  it,  and  they 
told  me  how  to  stop  the  iced  water.  When  it  was  all  over, 
I  felt  like  a  marble  statue  for  hours. 

Dinner  was  at  half  past  seven,  which  seemed  odd  in  such 
a  grand  palace  of  a  house,  because,  of  course,  at  home,  for 
some  extraordinary  reason  unless  you  are  in  the  middle 
classes,  you  never  have  an  appetite  before  eight,  at  the 
very  earliest.  If  you're  in  France,  or  other  countries  on 
the  Continent,  you  can  be  hungry  sooner,  and  evidently 
it  is  the  same  in  America.  Perhaps,  if  I  were  scientific, 
I  should  be  able  to  classify  these  differences  as  natural 
phenomena. 

I  had  dressed  myself  early,  and  was  ready  a  little  after 
seven,  because  I  thought  it  would  be  nice  to  sit  in  the 
fountain  court;  but  just  as  I  was  going  down  Louise 
knocked  at  the  door. 


76      LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  I  have  come  to  help  Miladi,  and  to  bring  her  these 
flowers,"  said  she.  "  They  are  with  mille  compliments 
from  Monsieur  the  Lieutenant  Parker,  the  brother  of 
Madame." 

"  But  I  have  never  met  him,"  I  said,  gazing  with  wonder 
upon  a  group  (bunch  is  too  mean  a  word)  of  mammoth 
pink  roses,  with  thickly  leaved  stems,  longer  than  walking 
sticks.  There  were  at  least  a  dozen  of  these  splendid 
creatures,  loosely  held  together  by  trails  of  pink  satin 
ribbon,  wide  enough  for  a  sash.  I  had  never  dreamed  of 
such  roses.  I  almost  expected  them  to  speak. 

"  Miladi  and  the  Lieutenant  will  meet  at  dinner,"  ex 
plained  Louise.  "  It  is  an  American  custom  that  the 
Messieurs  send  always  flowers  to  the  ladies.  Madame,  and 
Mademoiselle  Woodburn  have  received  bouquets  also,  but 
these  roses  for  Miladi  are  the  most  beautiful.  Is  it 
Miladi's  wish  that  I  untie  the  ribbon,  and  take  out  one  or 
two  for  her  to  carry  ?  " 

I  was  on  the  point  of  saying  "  yes,"  because  the  flowers 
were  so  lovely,  and  because  it  would  please  Mrs.  Ess  Kay ; 
but  on  second  thoughts,  I  said  "  no,"  thanking  Louise,  and 
asking  her  to  put  the  creatures'  feet  in  water.  Perhaps 
it  would  be  as  well,  I  reminded  myself,  to  see  this  brother 
of  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  (of  whose  existence  I'd  never  heard) 
before  I  went  about  armed  with  his  roses.  I  had  already 
tucked  the  white  bud,  which  had  come  to  me  on  the  dock 
like  a  dove  with  an  olive  branch,  into  the  low  neck  of  my 
frilly  white  muslin  frock,  and  I  gave  it  no  rivals. 

"Has  Madame  gone  down?"  I  asked;  for  it  occurred 
to  me  that  it  would  be  awkward  to  find  myself  alone  for 
nearly  half  an  hour  with  a  strange  man. 

"  I  think  Madame  will  be  in  the  hall,"  said  Louise,  and 
satisfied,  I  descended  in  a  stately  way  suited  to  the  house, 
into  the  fountain  court.  Nobody  was  there,  however,  ex- 


ABOUT    NEW    YORK  77 

cept  a  young  man  in  evening  dress,  who  jumped  up  from 
a  chair,  and  set  down  a  small  glass  out  of  which  he  had 
been  drinking. 

"  Allow  me  to  introduce  myself,"  said  he.  "  I  know 
you  must  be  Lady  Betty  Bulkeley.  My  name  is  Potter 
Parker." 

I  couldn't  help  wondering  whether  his  friends  called 
him  "  Pot,"  for  short,  and  the  thought  made  me  smile 
more  than  I  would  have  smiled  at  a  stranger  if  it  hadn't 
popped  into  my  head.  This  seemed  to  encourage  him, 
which  I  regretted ;  because  you  can  see  at  once  by  his  face 
that  he  isn't  the  kind  who  needs  encouragement.  It  is 
something  like  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  face,  only  younger,  with 
her  square  chin,  and  bold  blue  eyes  as  pale  as  hers.  The 
likeness  is  all  the  stronger  because  Mr.  Parker  wears  no 
moustache  or  beard,  and  his  dark  hair,  which  falls  in  two 
straight,  thick  blocks  over  his  forehead,  is  parted  in  the 
middle.  You  would  know,  if  you  saw  him  riding  a  white 
bear  at  the  North  Pole,  that  he  was  an  American  young 
man.  Why,  or  how,  I'm  not  experienced  enough  in  Amer 
icans  to  tell,  but  I'm  beginning  to  think  that  all  American 
men,  and  all  American  women,  have  a  dim  sort  of  family 
likeness  to  each  other.  With  the  girls,  it's  their  chins  and 
the  way  they  do  their  hair;  but  with  the  men  it's  more 
mysterious.  They  look  less  lazy  and  more  feverish  than 
our  men,  yet  at  the  same  time  more  humorous;  and  their 
clothes  seem  always  to  be  new. 

Mrs/  Ess  Kay's  nose  turns  down,  and  her  brother's 
turns  up,  which  is  the  principal  difference  in  their  feat 
ures,  and  his  makes  him  look  very  impudent,  though  rather 
clever  and  amusing. 

"  My  sister  wrote  me  about  your  dimples,  Lady  Betty," 
said  he,  when  I  smiled ;  and  I  screwed  my  mouth  into  prunes 
and  prisms  as  quickly  as  I  could. 


78   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

"  I  should  have  thought  such  things  were  hardly  worth 
writing  about,"  said  I. 

"  My  impression  is  that  they're  worth  about  a  million 
dollars  an  eighth  of  an  inch,"  he  replied,  "  and  I  bet  they'd 
fetch  that  in  a  bear  market." 

I  began  to  wish  that  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  or  Sally  would  come, 
for  I'm  not  used  to  having  persons  who  have  just  intro 
duced  themselves  make  remarks  on  my  dimples  or  other 
features. 

"  Don't  be  mad  with  me,"  he  went  on,  "  or  I  shall  think 
I've  estimated  them  too  low.  On  mature  consideration,  as 
we  soldier  chaps  say  at  a  court-martial,  I  should  be  in 
clined  to  set  them  higher.  If  you'll  just  show  them 
again " 

"  I  think,  if  you  don't  mind,"  said  I,  "  that  I'd  rather 
speak  of  the  weather." 

"  I'm  afraid  you're  not  used  to  Americans,"  said  he. 

"  I've  met  several,  crossing,  but  none  of  them  talked  to 
me  about — such  things,"  I  replied,  rather  primly. 

"  If  they  had,  I  should  have  challenged  them,"  he  re 
torted.  "  While  you're  staying  with  my  sister,  I  consider 
myself  a  sort  of  guardian  of  yours,  and  part  of  rny  duty 
will  be  to  keep  off  men — other  men — with  a  stick,  you 
see." 

"  No,  I  don't  see,"  said  I.  "  Not  that  there  will  be  the 
least  necessity  for  you  to  do  anything  of  the  sort." 

"  Oh,  won't  there?  Well,  you  just  wait  till  you  get  to 
Newport,  and  you'll  find  out  differently.  I've  applied  for 
leave  on  purpose  to  help  Kath  protect  you,  and  I  expect 
to  put  on  a  suit  of  chain  armour  under  my  clothes.  But 
first,  you're  coming  to  visit  me,  at  West  Point." 

«  I  don't  think  I  am,"  I  said. 

"  Oh,  but  you  are.  It's  a  promise  of  Kath's.  And 
shan't  I  be  proud  to  show  you  around?  You  shall  see 


ABOUT    NEW    YORK  79 

Flirtation  Walk  the  first  thing.  It's  what  the  ladies  ad 
mire  the  most,  at  the  Point.  Perhaps  you've  heard  of  it  ?  " 

"No,"  said  I.  "And  I  never  heard  of  West  Point. 
Is  it  a  suburb  of  New  York  ?  " 

"  Not  much.  It's  our  American  Sandhurst.  But  you 
English  people  don't  know  anything  about  this  side.  I 
guess,  now,  you  think  that  Florida  is  in  South  America?  " 

"  I  haven't  thought  about  it  yet,"  I  replied. 

"  That's  right.  I  don't  ask  anything  better  than  to 
teach  you  the  geography  of  the  United  States.  We'll 
begin  with  Flirtation  Walk.  But  see  here,  Lady  Betty, 
that  rose  you've  got  on  isn't  a  good  sample  of  what  we 
can  grow  over  here.  Didn't  that  maid  of  my  sister's  take 
you  something  a  little  better  from  me  ?  " 

"  Something  much  bigger  and  grander,"  I  said,  feeling 
loyal  to  my  poor  white  bud.  "  I  was  meaning  to  thank 
you." 

"  Don't  do  that ;  the  things  aren't  worth  it.  I  only 
wanted  to  know  whether  that  French  female  had  played  me 
false  or  not.  But  here  comes  my  sister.  I  wish  she'd 
taken  longer  to  do  up  her  back  hair.  Now,  I'll  give  you 
your  wish,  and  talk  about  the  weather.  Mighty  hot  day, 
isn't  it?  Won't  you  have  a  cocktail?  I'd  just  finished 
mine  when  you  came  down." 

"  Of  course  Betty  will  have  a  cocktail ;  we  all  do  before 
dinner,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  sailing  towards  us  in  a  trail 
ing  white  film  of  lace. 

But  Betty  didn't  have  one,  though  at  this  moment  sev 
eral  little  glasses  appeared  on  a  tray.  I  was  sure  that 
Mother  would  not  approve  of  cocktails  for  me,  as  it  sounds 
so  fast  for  a  young  girl  who  isn't  yet  out.  When  I  ex 
cused  myself,  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  laughed,  and  said,  "  Then 
what  about  that  sherry  cobbler?  " 

While  I  was  trying  to  think  what  she  meant,  Sally  came 


80   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

into  the  hall,  and  immediately  after  I  was  surprised  by  a 
kind  of  musical  moaning  which  began  suddenly  and  kept 
on  for  a  long  time. 

"  That's  the  Japanese  gong,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  when 
I  looked  round  to  see  where  the  sound  came  from.  "  It's 
for  dinner.  Potter,  give  Betty  your  arm." 

I  was  glad  she  didn't  use  that  nickname  I'd  been  think 
ing  of,  for  if  she  had,  I  should  certainly  have  laughed. 

We  began  dinner  by  eating  pinky-yellow  melons  cut  in 
half  and  filled  with  chopped  ice.  I  thought  at  first  that 
it  must  be  a  mistake,  and  they  ought  to  have  come  in  at 
dessert,  but  everybody  else  ate  theirs  without  appearing 
disconcerted,  so  I  did  mine,  and  it  was  good.  So  were  all 
the  other  things  that  followed  in  a  long  procession,  though 
they  were  very  strange  and  some  of  them  I  shouldn't  have 
known  how  to  eat  if  Mr.  Parker,  whose  place  was  next  to 
mine,  hadn't  told  me. 

We  had  bouillon  partly  frozen,  instead  of  soup ;  and 
then  came  the  most  extraordinary  little  fried  animals 
which  quite  startled  me,  they  were  so  like  exaggerated 
brown  spiders,  done  in  egg  and  breadcrumbs.  "  Soft 
shell  crabs,  dear  child,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  "and  you  eat 
every  bit,  down  to  the  tippiest  end  of  his  claw." 

I  should  never  have  managed  the  green  corn,  which 
grows  like  lots  of  pearls  set  close  together  in  rows  on  a  fat 
stick,  if  Mr.  Parker  hadn't  scraped  all  the  pearls  off  for 
me,  with  a  fork,  and  put  butter  and  salt  on  them.  I 
liked  him  a  little  better  after  that,  for  he  did  the  thing 
with  great  skill.  When  I  had  got  so  far,  nothing  could 
surprise  me,  and  I  didn't  turn  a  hair  when  I  found  that 
I  was  expected  to  eat  pears  cut  up  with  salad  oil.  But 
they  were  alligator  pears,  and  when  you  tasted  them,  it 
appeared  that  they  had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the 
fruit  kingdom.  Best  of  all,  I  liked  the  watermelon  which 


ABOUT    NEW    YORK  81 

came  at  the  end,  cut  in  little  balls,  looking  like  strawberry 
water  ice,  and  soaked  in  champagne.  I  hope  that  all  the 
things  to  eat  in  America  won't  be  so  nice,  or  I  may  grow 
stout  before  I  go  back ;  and  Vic  says  it  is  better  for  a  girl 
to  hang  herself. 

It  was  very  trying,  too,  to  find  that  I  was  keeping  every 
course  waiting.  I've  never  been  accused  of  greediness  at 
home,  though  I've  often  been  made  to  feel  guilty  of  most 
other  sins  in  the  calendar,  but  I  did  feel  queer  when  I 
began  to  realise  that  everybody  else  had  finished  what  was 
on  their  plates,  when  I'd  just  about  discovered  what  the 
thing  was.  It  made  me  so  uncomfortable  to  see  them  all 
leaning  back  waiting  for  me,  after  their  plates  had  been 
whisked  away,  that  I  took  to  bolting  the  rest  of  my  food, 
and  by  the  time  we'd  got  rid  of  nine  courses  in  about  half 
an  hour  I  felt  qualified  to  write  the  autobiography  of  an 
anaconda. 

As  for  the  iced  water,  I  had  intended  to  refuse  it  at  arry 
cost,  because  Vic  and  Mother  both  solemnly  warned  me 
that  it  made  all  the  difference  between  a  complexion  and 
mere  skin.  But  the  minute  I  landed,  I  began  thinking 
hard  about  iced  water,  and  I  soon  discovered  that  when 
you  are  in  America  a  comparatively  small  consideration 
like  a  complexion  would  never  keep  you  from  drinking  it. 
In  fact,  nothing  would.  You  feel  as  if  you  must  drink 
iced  water,  pints  of  iced  water,  in  rapid  succession,  if  not 
only  your  complexion,  but  your  whole  face  were  to  be 
swept  away  in  the  deluge.  Once  you  have  got  the  taste 
nothing  can  quench  it  but  iced  water,  more  iced  water,  and 
still  more  iced  water ! 

After  dinner,  while  we  were  having  heavenly  Turkish 
coffee  in  the  fountain  court,  who  should  come  but  Mr. 
Doremus.  It  seemed  to  me  a  funny  time  to  call,  but  ap 
parently  the  others  didn't  think  it  out  of  the  way.  He 


82   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

wanted  us  to  go  to  some  theatre  on  a  roof,  and  I  should 
have  loved  it,  especially  when  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  said  you  didn't 
get  smudges  on  your  nose  as  you  would  if  you  sat  on  a 
roof  in  London — a  thing  which  I  never  heard  of  anybody 
except  cats  doing.  But  she  was  tired,  and  I  suppose  it 
would  have  been  ladylike  for  me  to  be,  only  I  was  much  too 
excited.  So  Mr.  Doremus  stayed,  and  he  and  Mr.  Parker 
talked  more  slang  in  an  hour  than  I  think  I  ever  heard  in 
my  whole  life,  though  I  have  always  considered  Stan 
talented  in  that  way. 

But  Stan's  slang,  and  Vic's,  are  quite  different  from 
American  slang.  In  America,  you  build  up  your  whole 
conversation  out  of  it,  and  it's  wonderful.  I  longed  for 
a  notebook  while  those  two  men  were  talking,  to  put  every 
thing  down,  and  I  felt,  if  people  were  often  going  to  be  as 
funny  as  that,  I  should  need  to  go  home  soon  to  rest  Dry 
features.  I'm  not  sure  whether  Americans  really  think 
funnier  things  than  English  people  do,  but  their  funny 
ideas  are  startlingly  unlike  ours.  Somehow  they  seem 
younger  and  more  bubbling.  When  I  go  home,  I  shall 
probably  have  collected  so  much  slang  in  my  pores  that 
I  shall  talk  about  putting  on  my  "  glad  rags  "  when  I'm 
going  to  dress  for  dinner ;  my  life  will  be  my  "  natural  " ; 
I  shall  call  Stan's  motor  car  the  Blue  Assassin  or  the 
Homicide  Wagon ;  I  shall  say  my  best  frocks  are  "  mighty 
conducive  " ;  I  shall  get  bored  by  poor  Mr.  Duckworth,  our 
newest  curate,  and  tell  him  he's  "  the  limit " ;  I  may  even 
take  to  abbreviating  my  affirmatives  and  negatives  by 
saying  "  Yep  "  and  "  Nope  "  when  I'm  in  a  hurry ;  but 
if  I  do  fall  into  these  ways,  I  tremble  to  think  what  may 
be  the  effect  on  Mother. 


IV 
ABOUT    SHOPPING   AND   MEN 

WHY,  Betty,  you  never  told  me  you  were  in 
terviewed  on  the  dock."  These  were  the 
first  words  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  said  to  me  as  I 
walked  in  to  breakfast,  a  little  late  because 
of  a  wrestle  I  had  had  with  a  different  and  even  more  excit 
ing  kind  of  bath. 

"  I  wasn't,"  said  I,  on  the  defensive ;  though  I  couldn't 
be  perfectly  sure  what  connection,  if  any,  interviewing  had 
with  the  Customs.  "  You  told  me  not  to  declare  anything, 
and  I  didn't." 

Mr.  Parker,  looking  as  if  he  had  been  melted,  poured 
into  his  clothes,  and  then  cooled  off  with  iced  water,  burst 
out  laughing. 

"  You're  a  daisy,  Lady  Betty,"  said  he. 

"  Is  it  invidious  to  be  a  daisy  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  guess  I  must  look  in  the  dictionary  for  6  invidious  ' ; 
but  a  daisy's  a  flower  that  has  budded  in  the  green  fields 
of  England,  where  there  aren't  any  newspaper  reporters 
or  other  strange  bugs." 

"  Potter !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  "  don't  tease  her ; 
and  when  you've  been  in  the  green  fields  of  England  you'll 
say  insects,  not — er — what  you  did  say,  if  you  don't  want 
ladies  to  faint  all  around  you  on  the  floor."  Then  she 
turned  to  me.  "  He  means  you're  very  innocent,  because 
you  don't  know  what  it  is  to  be  interviewed.  But  you 
must  have  been  it,  all  the  same,  for  see  here,  in  this  dread 
ful  Flashlight."  And  she  handed  me  a  newspaper,  with 

83 


84   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

one  page  folded  over,  and  huge  headings  dotted  about  at 
the  tops  of  paragraphs,  like  the  lines  of  big  print  that 
oculists  keep  to  make  you  try  your  eyesight.  In  the  mid 
dle  column  I  saw  my  name,  but  I  couldn't  believe  it  was 
really  there,  in  an  American  paper.  I  began  to  think  I 
wasn't  awake  yet,  and  that  this  must  be  part  of  the  dream 
I  was  dreaming  all  yesterday. 

"  BONNY— BETTY— BULKELEY,"  I  read  out 
aloud.  "  A  Duke's  Daughter  on  the  Dock.  Call  Her  by 
Her  Front  Name,  Please.  What  Lady  Betty  Thinks  of 
Our  Boys." 

There  was  more,  but  when  I  had  got  so  far,  I  simply 
gasped. 

"How  dare  they?" 

"  There  isn't  much  they  don't  dare,  except  to  go  back 
without  a  *  story ',"  said  Mr.  Parker,  laughing.  But  I 
didn't  laugh.  I  was  too  angry. 

"  If  my  brother  were  here,  he'd  kill  them,"  I  said. 

"  Then  he  hasn't  got  a  sense  of  humour,"  replied  Mr. 
Parker ;  "  I  don't  see  how  a  Duke  could  have,  and  be  a 
Duke  nowadays;  but  I  guess  I  wouldn't  mind  swopping 
my  sense  of  humour  for  a  dukedom,  all  the  same.  See 
here,  Lady  Betty,  you'll  get  to  like  our  newspapers  before 
you've  been  over  here  a  month.  They  sort  of  grow  on 
you.  They're  as  interesting  as  novels,  and  almost  as  true 
to  life." 

"  This  isn't  true  to  my  life,  anyway,"  I  said,  not  know 
ing  whether  I  wanted  most  to  laugh  or  cry.  "  Oh,  Sally, 
Sally  Woodburn,  will  anybody  believe  I  said  such  things 
as  these?  " 

"  Give  the  Flashlight  to  me  and  let  me  look,"  she  said. 
And  when  she'd  taken  the  paper,  she  began  to  read  the 
stuff  that  came  under  the  big  headings,  out  aloud,  in  her 
pretty,  soft  voice. 


ABOUT    SHOPPING  85 

"  Yesterday  was  a  blazer,  but  though  it  was  hot  enough 
on  the  docks  to  roast  a  coon,  when  the  Big  Willie  steamed 
in,  that  beautiful  young  visitor  to  our  shores,  Lady  Betty 
Bulkeley,  managed  to  look  like  the  Duke's  daughter  and 
Duke's  sister  she  is,  and  so  far  as  a  mere  man  could  tell, 
without  the  help  of  patent  hair  curlers,  or  other  artificial 
aids  to  personal  pulchritude. 

"  A  daughter  of  the  gods,  divinely  tall  and  most  divinely 
fair,  she  sat  on  a  throne  of  ducal  luggage,  looking  queenly 
in  an  elegant  white  shirt  waist,  built  mostly  of  holes  and 
eminently  suited  to  her  style  of  beauty  as  well  as  the 
weather.  She  also  had  on  a  picture  hat,  which  was  super 
fluous  as  she  would  have  been  a  picture  without  it,  and 
below  the  waist  she  was  tailor  made." 

"  I  think  it's  most  insulting ! "  I  broke  in.  "  And  I 
was  made  at  home,  all  the  way  down." 

But  Sally  went  on :  "I  soon  found  [writes  the  repre 
sentative  of  The  Flashlight]  that  the  sister  of  the  Duke 
of  Stanforth,  one  of  Britain's  eligibles,  preferred  to  be  ad 
dressed  by  her  Front  name  of  Lady  Betty.  '  I  feel  more 
at  home,'  said  she,  with  a  sweet  voice,  but  a  pronounced 
English  accent,  *  when  I  am  called  Lady  Betty.  And  I 
want  to  feel  at  home  in  America,  because  I  expect  to  be 
some  time  with  my  friend,  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox,  who  will 
show  me  society  over  on  this  side.  I  have  heard  so  much 
about  Newport,  don't  you  know?  I  fancy  it  will  be  too 
utterly  deevy.' " 

"What's  deevy?"  I  demanded  with  scorn. 

"  Oh,  that's  supposed  to  be  what  smart  Englishwomen 
say  for  divine." 

"  /  never  heard  it,"  I  sneered,  "  much  less  said  it.  I'm 
sure  Mother  would  consider  it  quite  profane." 

"Well,  do  be  quiet,  child,  and  listen  to  what  The 
Flashlight  says  you  said."  "  '  What  opinion  have  you 


86   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

formed  of  our  society  women  and  clubmen,  on  board  the 
Willie?  '  was  the  next  question. 

"  6 1  think  your  ladies  are  better  dressed  than  ours,  and 
the  gentlemen  are  just  lovely.  They  don't  sit  around  and 
wait  while  we  girls  amuse  them,  they  hustle  to  give  us  a 
good  time,  and  they  know  how  to  do  it.  I  shouldn't  won 
der  if  I  should  hate  to  go  home  and  associate  with  lords 
after  being  a  summer  girl  in  Newport.  I  don't  see  now 
why  American  girls  go  out  of  their  own  country  to  marry.' 

"  6  I  suppose  we  shall  be  seeing  your  brother,  the  Duke, 
over  here  before  long? ' 

"  '  His  Grace  may  come  to  fetch  me  back,'  replied  her 
ladyship.  *  He  has  never  been  to  America,  but  it  is  one 
of  the  desires  of  his  life  to  come,  and  your  American 
beauties  had  better  look  out,  for  he  is  a  gay  young 
bachelor,  and  I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  he  took  a  fancy 
to  carry  home  a  Duchess.  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  will  en 
tertain  him  also,  and  maybe  he  will  paint  some  of  America 
red.'  " 

"  That's  all  about  you,  I  see,"  Sally  finished  up.  "  The 
rest  is  about  Cousin  Katherine  and  me.  It  says  we've 
come  back  with  a  touch  of  the  Piccadilly  accent;  and  it 
criticises  my  nose,  and  the  way  Cousin  Katherine  puts 
on  her  hat.  It  describes  this  house  all  wrong,  and  says 
the  Newport  cottage  '  knocks  spots  '  out  of  Mrs.  Van  der 
Windt's  cottage.  It  also  mentions  Cousin  Potter,  and  calls 
him  *  one  of  our  Army  Dudes.'  But  we  don't  mind,  and 
you  mustn't.  Everybody  reads  The  Flashlight,  for  the 
sake  of  the  shocks,  but  nobody  believes  its  flashes." 

"  Still,  you  must  have  said  something  to  the  man,"  re 
marked  Mrs.  Ess  Kay. 

"  I  only  said  '  No,  but—'  or  « Yes,  but—,' "  I  insisted. 
"  Truly  and  truly  nothing  else.  And  oh,  there  was  a  Bat, 
too,  who  tried  to  talk  to  me." 


ABOUT    SHOPPING  87 

"Great  Scott!  the  Evening  Bat"  chortled  Mr.  Parker. 
"  Look  out  for  something  rich  to-night." 

"  Can't  he  be  stopped?  "  I  asked. 

"  Might  as  well  try  to  stop  Niagara — with  a  tin  can ; 
the  less  you  said,  the  more  the  Bat  will  say.  But  it  doesn't 
matter.  Nobody'll  care.  Reporters  are  paid  by  the  yard 
for  imagination ;  information's  gone  out,  though  I  do  hear 
you  use  it  still  on  your  side." 

I  was  just  going  to  defend  information  (British)  at  the 
expense  of  imagination  (American),  when  I  remembered 
that  the  "  Army  Dude  " — which  sounds  rather  like  some 
thing  you  might  buy  at  the  Stores — had  sent  me  up  an 
enormous  bouquet  of  violets  as  big  as  a  breakfast  plate, 
and  that  I'd  forgotten  to  thank  him.  I  did  so  at  once,  but 
it  seemed  that  I  had  blundered. 

"Violets?"  he  echoed.  "Must  have  been  some  other 
fellow.  I  sent  you  gardenias." 

"  Oh,  then  the  cards  got  mixed,"  I  said.  "  I  thought 
the  gardenias  were  from  Mr.  Doremus.  How  kind  of 
you  both.  I  was  so  surprised  to  receive  such  lovely 
flowers." 

"  Our  American  buds  are  surprised  when  they  don't  get 
them.  They  would  think  it  a  cold  day  when  they  didn't 
have  a  slight  morning  haul  of  flowers — must  be  out  of 
season  ones,  or  they're  no  use — new  novels,  or  candy. 
What  do  men  over  on  your  side  of  the  water  do  to  convince 
you  girls  that  they  think  you're  as  beautiful  as  you  really 
are?" 

I  thought  for  a  minute,  and  then  I  said  that  perhaps 
we  weren't  as  hard  to  convince  as  American  girls.  I 
don't  know  whether  this  was  a  proper  answer  or  not,  but, 
anyway,  Mr.  Parker  laughed,  and  then  began  to  plan 
what  we  should  do  for  the  day. 

"  Say,  let's  run  her  over  to  Coney  Island,"  he  said. 


88   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

"  Oh,  my  dear  boy !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Ess  Kay.  "  Not 
for  anything.  The  Duchess  would  have  a  fi — I  mean,  she 
would  be  horrified." 

But  when  I  heard  that  Coney  Island  was  like  a  kind  of 
glorified  Margate  (which  I've  never  been  to,  but  only  heard 
about)  with  switchbacks  and  all  sorts  of  shows,  I  said  that 
Mother  would  consider  it  a  chapter  in  the  liberal  educa 
tion  of  a  respectable  British  tourist;  and  it  was  decided 
that  we  should  dine  there.  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  had  to  do  a  lot 
of  things  before  she  could  go  on  to  Newport,  so  we  were 
to  shop  all  the  morning,  lunch  at  Sherry's,  rest  in  the  after 
noon,  and  spend  the  evening  at  Coney  Island.  Next  day 
we  were  to  go  to  West  Point,  where  Mr.  Parker  is  sta 
tioned  and  stay  there  all  night  for  a  cadet  ball. 

Just  as  we  had  got  this  programme  settled,  and  were 
making  up  our  minds  to  go  out  early,  "  while  it  was  cool " 
(we  should  all  have  been  lying  about  with  wet  handker 
chiefs  on  our  foreheads  at  home,  and  there  would  have 
been  special  prayers  in  church,  if  it  had  ever  been  what 
New  Yorkers  seem  to  think  cool)  the  butler  came  in  lead 
ing  by  a  leash  a  perfect  angel  of  a  dog,  a  little  French 
bull,  with  skin  satiny  as  a  ripe  chestnut,  and  eyes  like 
rosettes  of  brown  velvet,  with  diamonds  shining  through 
them.  He  had  on  a  spikey  silver  collar,  fringed  on  each 
edge  with  white  horsehair,  and  he  came  trotting  into  the 
room  with  a  high  action  of  his  paws,  dainty  and  proud, 
like  a  horse  that  knows  he's  on  show ;  and  his  tiny  head  was 
cocked  on  one  side  as  if  he  were  asking  us  to  please  admire 
him  and  be  his  friends. 

I  supposed  that  the  little  fellow  belonged  to  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay,  and  that  he  was  being  brought  in  to  bid  his  mistress 
good  morning,  but  she  said  quite  sharply,  "  What  dog  is 
that?  " 

"  He's  a  parcel,  ma'am,"  said  the  butler,  "  addressed 


ABOUT    SHOPPING  89 

to  Lady  Betty  Bulkeley.  He  was  left  at  the  door  by  a 
messenger  boy,  and  the  label's  on  his  collar." 

In  another  instant  that  little  live,  warm  bundle  of 
brindled  satin  sewed  on  to  steel  wires  was  in  my  lap,  and 
it  did  seem  as  if  he  knew  that  he  was  mine.  The  queerest 
thing  was  that  he  had  no  note  with  him.  On  the  label — 
just  a  luggage  label  tied  on  his  collar — was  my  name,  in 
a  strange,  but  very  interesting  looking  hand,  and  these 
words  besides :  "  The  Dog  is  now  found.  His  name  is 
Vivace." 

"Who  has  sent  it  to  you,  Betty?"  asked  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay;  and  I  could  see  by  her  eyes  that  she  was  very 
curious. 

I  had  just  answered,  "  I  don't  know  from  Adam,"  when 
some  words  of  my  own  jumped  into  my  head.  I  could 
hear  myself  saying,  "  I  must  first  find  the  dog,"  and  then 
I  knew  that  the  giver  of  Vivace  wasn't  Adam.  But  luckily 
I  hadn't  thought  before  I  spoke,  so  it  was  no  harm  to  let 
it  rest  at  that;  and  I  just  sat  and  played  with  my  new 
toy  while  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  her  brother  jabbered  about 
him  excitedly. 

"  It  must  be  Tom  Doremus,"  said  she.  "  He's  the  only 
man  I  let  you  know  well  enough  on  board  to  take  such  a 
liberty." 

I  thought  of  another  man  she  hadn't  wanted  to  let  me 
know ;  but  I  rubbed  my  chin  on  Vivace's  ear,  which  felt  like 
a  wall-flower,  and  kept  quiet. 

"  Cheek  of  Doremus,"  remarked  Mr.  Parker.  "  He's  a 
Josher  from  wayback.  How  does  he  know  Lady  Betty 
likes  dogs?  I  should  send  the  little  brute  off  to  the  Dogs' 
Home." 

"  If  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  makes  me  do  that,  I  shall 
have  to  go  with  hinv—  and  stop  with  him,  too,"  said  I. 
And  I  almost  hated  Mr.  Parker  for  a  minute  in  spite  of 


90   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

the  walking-stick  roses  and  the  snowstorm  of  gardenias 
upstairs. 

"  Of  course,  you  shall  keep  the  dog,  if  you  want  to," 
said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  "  unless  we  find  out  that  he's  been  sent 
by  someone  undesirable,  and  then  of  course  the  Duchess 
would  expect  me  to  see  that  you  gave  him  back." 

"  I  feel  somehow  that  we  shall  never  find  out,"  I  said, 
and  I  hugged  Vivace  so  hard,  without  meaning  to,  that  he 
gave  a  tiny  grunt.  But  he  didn't  mind  a  bit,  and  licked 
my  hand  with  a  tongue  that  was  like  a  sweet  little  sample 
of  pink  plush. 

I  was  suddenly  so  happy  with  my  surprise-present  that 
I  forgave  America  for  having  imaginative  reporters,  and 
wasn't  homesick  for  the  pony  or  for  Berengaria  and  her 
puppies,  or  anything. 

Vivace  went  out  with  us  in  the  electric  carriage,  and 
even  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  had  to  admire  him  as  he  sat  straight 
up  in  my  lap,  like  a  bronze  statue  of  a  dog.  "  He's  a 
thoroughbred,  anyhow,"  she  remarked.  "  He  can't  have 
cost  a  penny  less  than  five  hundred  dollars,  so  whoever  the 
anonymous  giver  is,  he  must  be  a  rich  man." 

I'm  rather  hazy  about  dollars,  still,  but  when  I  heard 
that,  I  felt  myself  go  red.  I  knew  well  enough  that  the 
giver — who  wasn't  Adam — was  very  far  from  being  a  rich 
man,  and  I  couldn't  bear  to  think  that  he  had  perhaps 
squandered  some  hard-earned  savings  on  buying  such  an 
extravagant  present  for  me.  But  the  more  I  thought  of 
it — which  I  did  all  the  way  down  to  the  shops — the  more 
I  thought  it  impossible  that  a  man  who  had  been  obliged 
to  cross  the  Atlantic  in  the  steerage  would  even  have  a 
hundred  pounds  in  the  world.  Somebody  had  perhaps 
given  him  the  dog  from  a  good  kennel,  when  it  was  a  wee 
puppy,  I  said  to  myself ;  but  this,  though  it  eased  my  mind 
in  one  way,  made  the  gift  seem  all  the  more  pathetic; — 


ABOUT    SHOPPING  91 

that  that  poor,  handsome  Jim  Brett  should  part  with  some 
thing  he  must  have  loved  (for  who  could  have  Vivace  and 
not  love  him?)  to  please  me.  I  should  have  liked  to  write 
a  note  to  the  Manhattan  Club,  where  he  had  told  me  he  was 
employed,  to  thank  him.  But  he  had  sent  the  present 
anonymously,  and  I  felt  somehow  as  if  he  hadn't  meant  or 
wished  me  to  acknowledge  it. 

While  I  was  wondering  what  I  should  do,  the  brougham 
stopped  before  a  shop  even  larger  than  Harrod's  or  the 
Army  and  Navy  Stores.  There  were  lovely  things  in  the 
windows,  things  that  looked  like  American  women,  and  not 
like  English  or  even  French  ones,  though  I  couldn't  define 
the  difference  if  I  were  ordered  to  with  a  revolver  at  my 
head. 

The  petticoats  and  stockings  and  belts  and  lace  things 
and  parasols,  and  especially  blouses,  were  so  perfectly 
thrilling  that  my  heart  began  to  beat  quite  fast  at 
sight  of  them.  I  felt  as  if  I  must  have  some  immediately ; 
and  when  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  said  that  this  was  "  quite  a  cheap 
store,"  I  said  to  myself  that  I  would  do  something  more 
interesting  than  watch  her  shopping. 

She  had  to  buy  handkerchiefs  to  begin  with,  for  most  of 
hers  had  disappeared  in  the  wash  at  foreign  hotels;  and 
Sally  wanted  veiling.  Those  were  not  interesting  to  me, 
because  they  are  necessary ;  and  necessaries,  like  your  daily 
bread  and  such  things,  are  so  dull.  I  said  that  I  would 
just  wander  about  a  little,  as  they  thought  they  would 
be  some  time,  and  we  made  an  appointment  to  meet  in  half 
an  hour  at  what  they  called  the  notion  counter.  I  hadn't 
an  idea  what  it  was,  and  didn't  like  to  ask,  because  I 
had  asked  so  many  questions  already;  but  I  knew  that 
I  could  get  someone  to  take  me  there  when  the  half  hour 
was  up. 

When  you  want  everything  you  see,  but  aren't  sure. 


92   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

which  things  you  want  enough  to  buy  and  how  many  you 
can  afford,  it's  less  confusing  to  prowl  alone.  Besides, 
there  was  an  exciting  feeling  of  independence  in  strolling 
about  unchaperoned  in  a  shop  as  big  as  a  village,  in  a 
strange  foreign  city. 

I  really  did  need  a  sunshade  to  go  with  a  blue  dress  of 
mine,  because  my  only  light  one  (if  I  don't  count  rather  a 
common  white  thing)  is  pink.  I  saw  some  beauties,  and 
I  wanted  to  ask  the  price;  but  the  attendants, — who  were 
girls,  with  lovely  figures  and  their  hair  done  in  exactly  the 
same  flop  over  their  foreheads, — were  so  interested  in  talk 
ing  about  a  young  man  they  all  knew,  that  it  seemed  cruel 
to  interrupt  them,  especially  as  I  mightn't  buy  the  sun 
shade  in  the  end.  However,  I  did  venture  to  speak,  in 
quite  a  humble  voice,  by  and  by,  but  the  girl  couldn't  un 
derstand  a  word  until  I'd  repeated  everything  twice.  "  A 
sunshade?  Oh,  you  mean  one  of  these  parasawls,"  she  said 
then.  "  Excuse  me,  it's  your  English  accent  I  didn't 
quite  catch  at  first.  That  one's  ten  dollars  and  forty-nine 
cents,  and  this  is  eight  dollars,  eighty-nine." 

While  we  were  busy  doing  the  dollars  into  pounds  and 
shillings,  we  got  quite  friendly,  for  she  was  a  very  oblig 
ing  girl,  and  didn't  bear  me  any  grudge  for  interrupting, 
though  her  friends  were  going  on  with  their  conversation 
and  telling  such  exciting  things  about  the  young  man  that 
she  must  have  been  dying  to  listen. 

However,  my  girl  hardly  paid  any  attention  to  them  at 
all,  except  just  to  get  mixed  up  in  her  answers  to  me  once 
or  twice.  She  said  it  was  very  difficult  to  understand  Eng 
lish  people  on  account  of  their  not  opening  their  mouths 
much  when  they  spoke,  and  their  accent  being  so  strong. 
I  found  this  odd,  because  we  always  feel  as  if,  the  English 
language  having  been  started  by  us,  it  is  Americans  who 
have  an  accent ;  but  it  seems  that  a  great  many  people  in 


ABOUT    SHOPPING  93 

the  States  dislike  the  way  we  talk,  very  much,  and  con 
sider  it  extremely  affected. 

After  all  the  trouble  she  had  taken,  I  felt  dreadfully  not 
to  buy  anything  of  her,  but  the  sunshades  were  too  ex 
pensive,  though  she  said  they  were  marked  down.  I  took 
a  Japanese  fan  instead,  which  pops  out  at  you  like  a  Jack- 
in-the-box,  from  a  fat  red  stick ;  and  even  that  was  a  dollar 
and  twenty-five  cents  when  I  thought  it  would  be  sixpence. 
On  the  way  to  meet  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  Sally  at  the  notion 
counter,  I  enquired  the  price  of  a  good  many  other  super 
latively  beautiful  things,  but  they  were  all  superlatively 
high,  as  well ;  and  by  the  time  a  very  dashing  young  man, 
who  said  he  was  a  "  floor-walker,"  had  steered  me  to  the 
notions,  I  felt  as  if  I  were  the  only  cheap  thing  in  the 
whole  shop.  To  be  sure,  there  were  some  embroidered 
collars  and  American  flag-headed  hat-pins,  and  flowered 
muslin  wrappers  which  I  could  have  had  without  ruining 
myself,  if  I  had  wanted  them.  But  I  didn't ;  and  what  I 
should  like  to  know  is,  what  does  a  girl  do,  if  she's  poor 
and  has  to  live  in  New  York?  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  had  said  the 
shop  was  a  cheap  shop,  so  there  must  be  others  where  even 
the  flowered  wrappers  and  collars  and  hatpins  are  more. 
And  besides,  a  girl  couldn't  go  through  life  dressed  en 
tirely  in  such  things.  However,  judging  from  the  girls 
I  have  seen  so  far,  they  are  all  very  rich,  except  the  lower 
classes ;  and  of  course,  it's  much  simpler  to  do  without 
things  if  you  can  just  be  poor  and  give  up  to  it  com 
fortably,  without  thinking  of  appearances,  like  us. 

As  soon  as  I  saw  the  Notion  Counter,  I  knew  why  they 
had  named  it  that ;  only  it  would  be  still  more  expressive  if 
it  were  called  the  Imagination  counter.  It  was  lovely,  and 
looked  like  thousands  of  little  Christmas  presents  spread 
out  for  everyone. 

There  were  a  great  many  pretty  people  buying  things 


94   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

at  it,  and  in  most  of  the  other  departments  where  I  went 
with  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  Sally;  but  when  I  admired  them, 
and  the  sweet  blouses  they  wore,  and  the  way  they  car 
ried  their  shoulders  and  hips,  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  sniffed,  and 
said  there  was  nobody  in  New  York,  now, — nobody  at  all 
who  was  worth  looking  at,  and  wouldn't  be  till  October, 
except  those  who  were  just  in  the  city  for  a  day  or  two  of 
shopping,  like  us.  When  I  suggested  that  these  charming 
beings  in  white  muslins  and  summer  silks  might  be  here  in 
that  way,  she  did  not  think  it  at  all  probable. 

"How  can  you  tell?"  I  asked.  "They  look  just  as 
nice  as  we  do." 

Indeed,  I  thought  some  of  them  looked  nicer,  but  I've 
been  much  too  well  brought  up  to  make  such  remarks  as 
that. 

"  I  can  tell,  because  I  don't  know  their  Faces,"  said 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  decidedly,  in  a  tone  that  gave  a  capital 
letter  to  her  last  word,  and  yet  intimated  that  the  poor, 
unknown  (by  her)  Things  couldn't  possibly  be  worth  a 
glance. 

Now,  Mother  and  Aunt  Sophy  are  rather  like  that.  It's 
almost  terrible  when  they  say  "  Who  Is  she  ?  "  But  I 
shouldn't  have  expected  it  to  be  the  same  in  America,  if 
Sally  hadn't  warned  me.  I  suppose  it's  quite  easy  to 
remember  just  Four  Hundred  faces,  as  you're  sure  there 
will  never  be  any  more,  even  if  they  have  children,  because 
they're  being  cut  down  instead  of  going  up  in  number. 

When  we  had  been  for  about  an  hour  and  a  half  in  the 
big  shop,  we'd  finished  all  we  had  to  do^  there,  and  must 
motor  to  another  farther  up,  before  meeting  Mr.  Parker, 
who  was  to  give  us  lunch  at  a  place  called  Sherry's,  at 
one  o'clock.  On  the  way,  Sally  suddenly  exclaimed,  "  Oh, 
Cousin  Katherine,  we  must  initiate  this  dear  child  into  the 


ABOUT    SHOPPING  95 

mysteries  of  ice  cream  soda  water;  and  Pm  just  yearning 
for  some  myself,  anyhow." 

"  Huyler's,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  to  her  mecanicien,  a 
very  young  man  with  eyes  that  looked  positively  ill  with 
intelligence,  and  a  way  of  snapping  out  "  all  right "  when 
she  spoke  to  him  that  would  make  Stan  sit  up  with  surprise 
if  his  chauffeur  did  it. 

Sally  said  that  the  nicest  oasis  in  the  desert  of  London 
was  an  American  place  where  you  can  get  ice  cream  soda 
water ;  but  I  had  never  had  any,  and  in  the  burning  heat  of 
the  New  York  morning — which  flung  itself  into  the  shop 
like  a  great  wave  in  spite  of  fierce  electric  fans — I  could 
have  purred  in  pure  delight  over  the  piled  up,  ice-cold 
froth  in  that  tall  glass.  It  tasted  like  frozen  velvet 
flavoured  with  strawberries,  and  I  should  have  loved  to  be 
an  ostrich  or  an  anaconda  so  that  the  sensation  might  have 
lasted  longer. 

There  were  no  men  in  the  shop,  only  women,  and  so 
pretty  that  you  wondered  if  there  were  a  notice  posted  up 
over  the  door  forbidding  plain  ladies  to  enter.  Two  or 
three  had  yellow  hair,  yellower  than  mine,  and  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay  said  they  were  actresses  who  always  came  back  to 
New  York  in  summer  to  wait  for  Things  to  turn  up,  just 
as  chickens  come  home  to  roost;  and  that  they  were  sup 
posed  to  be  Resting. 

I  had  always  thought  that  a  banana  made  you  feel 
more  as  if  you  had  eaten  a  large,  elaborate  dinner  than 
any  other  one  thing  possibly  could;  but  I  found  that  an 
ice  cream  soda  is  even  more  so;  and  it  was  lucky  for  us 
that  we  had  another  hour's  shopping  to  do  (Mrs.  Ess  Kay 
made  it  an  hour  and  a  half  because  Potter  is  only  her 
brother)  before  luncheon. 

The  next  shop  was  even  more  wonderful  than  the  first, 


96      LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

and  would  have  been  a  great  deal  more  solemn  and  digni 
fied,  and  even  conventional,  if  the  same  kind  of  wooden 
balls  hadn't  gone  tearing  round  like  mad  squirrels  in  wire 
cages  over  the  counters,  with  people's  money  shut  up  in 
side  them.  There  were  very  young  youths  sitting  in  tall 
pulpit  things,  who  caught  the  balls  on  the  fly  in  a  sport 
ing  way,  and  did  something  to  them,  but  I  never  could  see 
what,  and  afterwards  sent  them  back,  with  the  greenback 
bills  inside  turned  miraculously  into  silver  and  pretty 
miniature  pennies. 

When  we  got  to  Sherry's  Potter  was  waiting  for  us,  and 
looking  cross.  I  think  persons  with  turned  up  noses  show 
crossness  more  easily  than  the  other  kind,  and  Potter  had 
the  expression  in  his  eyes  that  Vic  has  when  her  shoes  are 
tight  and  Mother  is  in  a  trying  mood  at  the  same  time. 
I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  he  has  a  horrid  temper,  although 
he  thinks  of  so  many  funny  things.  And  though  he  is  so 
nice  to  me,  he  can't  help  saying  things  sometimes  which 
show  that  he  has  a  prejudice  against  England.  That 
seems  extraordinary,  and  shows  one  how  conceited  we 
English  really  are ;  for  one  is  quite  accustomed  to  the  idea 
that  there  may  be  people  who  don't  care  for  Americans, 
but  it  is  odd  that  Americans  may  not  like  us.  I  suppose 
it's  on  a  par  with  the  sentiments  in  our  National  Anthem, 
which  when  one  comes  to  analyse  them,  don't  exactly  sug 
gest  a  sense  of  give  and  take — or,  for  that  matter,  a  sense 
of  humour. 

"  Confound  their  politics,  frustrate  their  knavish  tricks," 
but  naturally  bless  everything  in  which  We  are  concerned, 
as  We  are  certain  to  be  above  reproach.  I'm  afraid  that's 
quite  of  a  piece  with  the  calm  confidence  we  have  in  our 
own  superiority,  although  I  daresay  I  should  never  have 
realised  it  if  it  weren't  for  Mr.  Potter  Parker  and  his 
perky  nos§. 


ABOUT    SHOPPING  97 

It  began  to  be  less  perky  when  we  were  all  settled  at  a 
table  in  a  perfectly  charming  restaurant,  the  most  restful 
place  to  eat  in  that  I  ever  saw.  I  can't  imagine  even  a 
fiend  being  ill-tempered  in  it  for  long;  and  it  was  deli- 
ciously  cool,  as  if  we  had  come  into  a  shadowy  green  wood 
after  the  blazing,  brassy  glare  of  the  streets. 

The  big  room  really  was  rather  like  a  wood,  so  the  simile 
isn't  far-fetched ; — an  open  space  in  a  wood,  ringed  round 
with  tall  trees  bending  their  branches  low  over  a  still  pool. 
The  soothing  brown  of  the  wainscoted  walls  gave  the  tree- 
trunk  effect ;  the  great  hanging  baskets  of  ferns  and  moss 
that  swung  from  the  ceiling  were  the  tree-branches;  and 
the  many  round,  snow-white  tables,  with  green  velvet  chairs 
grouped  closely  round  them  on  the  polished  floor  were  the 
water-lilies  with  green  pads  floating  on  the  surface  of  the 
pond. 

Nearly  everything  we  had  for  lunch  was  in  a  more  or  less 
advanced  state  of  frozenness,  from  the  bouillon,  ever  so  far 
along  to  the  ices  in  the  shape  of  different-coloured  fruits, 
toward  the  end.  Nevertheless,  all  of  us,  except  Potter, 
drank  iced  water  instead  of  wine  whenever  we  stopped  eat 
ing  for  an  instant,  or  couldn't  think  of  anything  particular 
to  say ;  and  the  more  we  had  the  more  we  seemed  to  want. 
There  was  a  kind  of  iced-water  curse  upon  us. 

It  has  never  occurred  to  Vic  or  me  to  lie  down  in  the 
afternoon,  though  she  tries  to  sleep  a  little  sometimes  if 
she's  going  to  a  ball.  But  when  we  got  home,  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay  and  Sally  took  it  quite  as  a  matter  of  course  that  we 
would  lie  down  before  going  to  Coney  Island  to  dine  and 
see  fireworks  and  other  things.  They  were  surprised  when 
I  didn't  want  to,  but  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  said  in  that  case 
Potter  would  entertain  me  while  they  rested.  I  told  her 
it  wasn't  necessary,  but  Potter  wanted  me  to  bet  my  sweet 
life  that  it  was  just  the  one  Proposition  on  earth  for  him, 


98   LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

so  he  and  Vivace  and  I  sat  in  the  fountain  court  while  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay  and  Sally  went  upstairs. 

Potter  was  suddenly  a  changed  man,  as  soon  as  he  and 
I  were  alone  together,  becoming  exactly  what  he  had  been 
yesterday  when  I  first  ran  downstairs,  and  he  introduced 
himself. 

He  didn't  chaff  me  about  my  country,  and  make  fun  of 
our  government,  or  hint  that  American  men  were  the  only 
men  living  who  knew  how  to  treat  women,  as  he  seemed  to 
delight  in  doing  when  his  sister  and  cousin  were  with  us. 
He  began  by  offering  to  teach  me  some  of  his  best  slang ; 
but  as  the  lesson  went  on,  it  turned  out  to  be  rather  more 
like  a  lesson  in  flirtation. 

I  would  have  been  even  more  startled  than  I  was,  if  I 
hadn't  already  had  a  little  experience  on  board  ship,  with 
Mr.  Doremus.  At  home  I've  often  thought  it  must  be 
very  pleasant  to  be  out,  and  able  to  flirt ;  but  I  never  had 
a  chance,  because,  as  Vic  said,  it  was  her  turn  first,  and  the 
only  young  man,  not  a  relation,  that  I  ever  talked  with 
alone  was  the  curate,  who  would  as  soon  have  tried  to  flirt 
with  a  Bishopess  as  with  one  of  Mother's  daughters. 

But  I  like  Mr.  Doremus'  kind  of  flirtation  almost  bet 
ter  than  Mr.  Parker's.  Mr.  Doremus  makes  you  feel  as 
if  you  were  a  beautiful  young  heroine  in  a  play,  and  you 
are  almost  sorry  there  is  no  audience  to  applaud  the  witty 
things  he  says,  and  the  smart  answers  he  inspires  you  to 
think  of,  just  as  if  he  were  giving  you  a  clue. 

Potter  is  different,  and  instead  of  an  audience  you  want 
a  kind  of  perpetual  chaperon,  not  a  Briareus  creature 
with  lots  of  hands  to  applaud. 

It  is  silly,  I  know,  to  blush  and  simper;  but  I  couldn't 
think  of  anything  else  to  do,  Potter  was  so  alarming ;  and 
I  wouldn't  allow  him  to  tell  my  fortune  by  my  hand,  for 
it  was  much  too  hot.  Even  if  it  hadn't  been  I  shouldn't 


ABOUT    SHOPPING  99 

have  wanted  my  hand  held,  for  I  do  hate  being  touched  by 
anyone  I'm  not  fond  of.  When  I  told  him  that,  he  said 
it  was  very  simple;  what  I  had  to  do  was  to  get  fond  of 
him,  and  then  it  would  be  all  right. 

"  I  shan't  have  time,"  I  said.  "  There'll  be  too 
much  for  me  to  think  about;  and  then  I  shall  be  going 
home." 

"  How  long  does  it  take  an  English  girl  to  get  fond  of 
a  man  ?  "  said  he. 

I  told  him  I  didn't  know  anything  about  that,  as 
I  wasn't  out;  but  I  supposed  it  depended  on  the  kind  of 
girl. 

"  I  guess  it  depends  more  on  the  man,  in  your  climate, 
doesn't  it ?  "  asked  Potter.  "  But  over  here  it's  sometimes 
a  question  of  hours,  for  both  sides.  Why,  a  chum  of  mine 
went  out  to  San  Francisco  on  business  which  was  going 
to  keep  him  just  one  day.  He  met  a  girl  at  dinner,  fell 
in  love  with  her  while  she  was  eating  her  soup,  and  told 
her  so  before  dessert  came  along.  She  vacillated  over  the 
ice  cream,  but  said  yes  with  the  peaches  and  pears.  Next 
day  they  got  married  and  he  brought  her  back  East  for 
a  wedding  trip." 

"  What  did  they  do  about  the  Banns?  " 

"  Oh,  Americans  have  done  away  with  Banns  since  the 
Revolution,  I  guess.  When  we  fellows  fall  in  love  we're 
in  a  hurry." 

"  Marry  in  haste,  repent  at  leisure,"  I  quoted  primly. 

"  We  don't  repent.  We  just  get  a  divorce.  It  saves 
worry.  Incompatibility  of  the  affections,  or  fatty  degen 
eration  of  the  temper,  or  something  like  that.  But  I  don't 
need  to  talk  of  such  things  to  you.  Nobody  who  got  a 
prize-package  like  Lady  Betty  Bulkeley  would  part  with 
it  while  he  had  a  button  left  on  his  coat." 

"  I  don't  see  what  buttons  would  have  to  do  with  it," 


100    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

I  said,  but  as  I  had  always  been  sent  out  of  the  room  at 
home  directly  anyone  began  even  to  mention  divorce,  I 
thought  I  had  better  go  upstairs  and  dress  for  dinner 
at  Coney  Island.  Mr.  Parker  begged  me  not,  but  I  would ; 
and  Vivace  barked  as  if  he  were  under  the  impression  that 
he  was  a  watch  dog ;  so  thanks  to  him  I  got  away  without 
trouble. 


ABOUT    WEST    POINT    AND    PROPOSALS 

1    COULD  hardly  have  supposed  that  there  were  as 
many  people  in  the  whole  world  put  together,  as  at 
Coney  Island ;  and  most  of  them  were  in  pairs,  like 
the  animals  on  their  way  to  the  ark.     They  all  seemed 
to  be  engaged  to  each  other,  and  delighted  with  each  other's 
society,  or  else  married  and  dreadfully  tired  of  it.     Or 
else  they  had  dyspepsia.     Or  else  they  had  brought  too 
many  of  their  children;  for  they  had  droves  of  very  small 
ones,  who  bellowed  louder  than   any  English  children   I 
ever  saw,  and  tyrannised  over  their  parents  in  the  most 
unbridled  way. 

But  Coney  Island  was  fun,  and  I  felt  more  than  ever 
that  I  was  dreaming;  a  long,  long  dream  of  sands,  and 
huge  hotels,  and  queer  little  booths. 

For  dinner  we  ate  nothing  but  fish,  of  so  many  different 
kinds  and  some  of  them  so  strange,  that  I  almost  feared 
the  dream  might  turn  into  a  nightmare  afterwards.  I 
found  the  clams  rather  like  olives ;  you  hate  the  first,  but 
when  you  have  had  three  you  feel  you  would  like  three 
dozen ;  and  they  are  not  at  all  easy  to  forget. 

We  went  down  Under  the  Sea,  and  were  introduced  to 
horrific  monsters,  sailed  up  and  down  on  switchbacks, 
which  made  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  ill,  but  she  nobly  refused  to 
desert  me  in  such  surroundings — a  state  of  mind  which 
made  her  chin  look  incredibly  square.  Eventually,  after 
many  adventures  by  the  way,  we  arrived  at  the  Moon,  and 
not  only  got  into  the  middle  of  it,  but  made  acquaintance 

101 


102    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

with  the  inhabitants,  none  of  whom  appeared  to  be  over 
two  feet  high,  or  Lo  k*ve  anything  to  speak  of  between 
their  cL.ins  and  th.nr-  toes.  After  that  experience,  minstrel 
shows  and  concerts,  and  persons  who  told  your  fortunes 
with  snakes,  or  ate  glass,  were  rather  an  anticlimax;  still, 
I  enjoyed  them  all  so  much  that  I  was  incapable  of  ex 
treme  annoyance  when  we  discovered  that  The  Evening 
Bat  had  an  "  impressionist  sketch "  of  me  which  made 
me  look  like  an  elderly  murderess. 

We  got  back  to  New  York  almost  indecently  late,  but 
in  the  meaner  parts  through  which  we  had  to  pass  on  the 
way  to  our  gorgeousness  the  streets  swarmed  with  poor 
creatures,  pallid  with  heat,  evidently  preparing  to  camp 
out  of  doors  till  morning.  It  was  a  strange  and  interest 
ing  sight,  but  made  me  feel  guilty  when  I  recalled  it 
afterwards  in  my  great  cool  bedroom,  with  my  five  dif 
ferent  kinds  of  baths. 

Next  morning  I  was  waked  early  to  find  more  presents 
of  flowers  in  huge  stacks,  and  to  get  ready  for  West  Point. 
I  was  a  little  tired  from  yesterday,  and  the  dry  heat  gave 
me  rather  the  sensation  of  being  a  scientist's  field  mouse 
in  a  vacuum,  so  that  I  should  have  dreaded  even  a  short 
journey  if  we  hadn't  been  making  it  by  water. 

It  was  even  better  than  if  we  had  been  ordinary  tourists 
on  one  of  the  big  Hudson  River  boats  I  had  heard  about, 
for  we  were  to  travel  luxuriously  in  a  little  steam  yacht 
of  Potter's,  which  he  calls  "  The  Poached  Egg "  be 
cause  it  can't  be  beaten.  It  is  not  a  vulgar  yacht,  as  one 
might  have  thought  from  the  name,  but  a  dainty  thing 
that  ought  to  have  been  "  The  Butterfly,"  "  Ye  White 
Ladye,"  or  something  of  that  sort.  When  I  said  so,  Mr. 
Parker  insisted  that  he  would  at  once  re-christen  her 
"  Lady  Betty,"  which  would  have  a  prettier  meaning  than 
anything  else ;  and  then  I  was  sorry  I'd  spoken. 


ABOUT    WEST    POINT  103 

I  had  expected  to  be  disappointed  in  the  river,  because 
nearly  everybody  I  met  on  board  ship  tried  to  impress  upon 
me  that  we  had  nothing  half  so  good  in  England;  while 
as  for  the  Rhine,  it  wasn't  a  patch  on  the  Hudson.  I 
even  wanted  to  be  disappointed,  out  of  patriotism  or  spite, 
which  are  much  the  same  thing  sometimes ;  but  I  couldn't. 
I  found  the  Hudson  too  grand  for  petty  jealousy.  It 
seemed  to  me  like  a  great,  noble  poem,  rolling  on  and  on 
in  splendid  cadences;  and  I  have  heard  some  music  of 
Wagner's  that  it  reminded  me  of,  somehow. 

The  hills  or  mountains — I'm  not  sure  which  to  call  them 
— even  the  Palisades  which  have  been  so  dinned  into  my 
ears — were  not  high  enough  to  satisfy  me  at  a  first  glance ; 
but  soon  I  saw  that  it  was  their  grouping  and  their  per 
fect  proportion  in  relation  to  each  other  which  made  them 
so  exquisite.  As  we  steamed  on,  along  the  green  and 
golden  flood,  between  banks  that  appeared  to  fall  back 
in  admiration,  I  began  to  love  the  Hudson  so  much  that 
I  could  have  shrieked  with  rage  at  the  great  staring  ad 
vertisements  on  hoardings.  What  can  the  scenery  have 
done  to  Americans,  that  they  should  do  their  best  to  spoil 
it  ?  No  wonder  most  of  them  come  over  to  see  ours,  which 
we  have  the  sense  to  let  alone,  even  if  it  crumbles. 

Sally  and  Mr.  Parker  laughed  at  my  fury,  but  I 
didn't  see  how  they  could  take  it  so  calmly.  "  It  isn't  my 
scenery,  so  I  don't  trouble  myself,"  said  Potter,  when  I 
asked  why  he  didn't  get  up  a  secret  night  expedition  to 
burn  or  chop  down  all  the  hoardings.  But  I'm  sure  Eng 
lish  people  aren't  careless  like  that.  Each  person  thinks 
the  good  of  the  whole  country  is  his  business ;  at  least  one 
would  suppose  so  by  the  way  everybody  who  comes  to 
Battlemead  talks  politics  and  affairs  of  public  interest, 
morning,  noon  and  night.  It  seems,  though,  in  America 
only  policemen  and  people  who  live  in  Washington  care 


104    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

about  politics  really,  except  to  get  benefits  for  themselves ; 
and  it  isn't  good  form  to  be  too  much  interested  in  such 
things. 

Victoria  would  like  this  rule,  for  she  has  confessed  to  me 
that  political  questions  bore  her,  and  she  would  much 
rather  be  talked  to  about  love  or  motoring,  or  even  bridge ; 
but  she  always  reads  the  newspapers  hard  for  fifteen  min 
utes  while  Thompson  does  her  hair,  if  she's  going  out  to  a 
big  lunch  or  dinner,  so  that  she  will  be  up  in  everything 
and  able  to  talk  brilliantly  to  members  of  Parliament,  or 
stuffy  old  things  in  the  House  of  Lords. 

I  calmed  down  somewhat  after  I'd  recovered  from  the 
first  shock  of  seeing  several  islands  entirely  devoted  to 
insisting  that  Uneeda  Biscuit,  or  a  Cigar,  or  some  other 
extraneous  thing  which  you're  sure  you  don't  need  in  the 
least,  and  wouldn't  buy  even  if  you  did  when  it  had  been 
forced  on  you  like  that.  There  was  so  much  to  admire 
that  it  seemed  a  shame  to  fret.  Besides,  it  was  soothing 
to  sit  on  the  yacht's  deck  under  a  pale  green  awning, 
drinking  what  I  call  a  lemon  squash,  and  Potter  and  Sally 
obstinately  believe  to  be  lemonade.  While  Mrs.  Ess  Kay 
angrily  read  nasty  paragraphs  about  herself,  and  hilari 
ously  about  her  friends,  in  a  regular  highwayman  of  a 
paper,  Smart  Sayings,  Sally  Woodburn  told  me  charming 
legends  of  the  Hudson ;  dear  old  Dutch  things,  most  of 
them,  which  had  been  made  into  plays  and  poems;  and  I 
was  sorry  when  we  came  to  West  Point  at  last. 

But  I  wasn't  sorry  for  long.  The  minute  we  got  on 
shore  at  a  quaint  little  landing  shoved  incongruously  in 
among  beautiful  wooded  hills,  the  most  exquisite  scents  of 
ferns  and  trees,  and  sweet,  moist  earth  came  hurrying 
down  to  welcome  us.  Eton  is  not  more  beautiful  than  West 
Point;  and  as  we  drove  up  the  hill  under  an  arbour  of 
trees,  I  saw  that  the  buildings  cleverly  contrived  to  look 


ABOUT    WEST    POINT  105 

old  and  grey  and  picturesque,  like  ours.  The  elms  in  a 
big  green  square  past  the  top  of  the  hill  had  a  venerable 
air,  too,  so  they  must  have  been  precocious  about  grow 
ing,  for  it  doesn't  stand  to  reason  that  West  Point  can  be 
as  ancient  as  Oxford  or  Eton.  But  anyway,  the  elms  were 
there,  making  an  effect  that  England  couldn't  improve 
on,  and  there  were  some  grey  stone  barracks,  and  a  long 
line  of  officers'  quarters  built  of  wood  and  brick.  I  was 
glad  that  we  were  to  stop  with  Potter,  instead  of  going  to 
an  hotel,  for  I  did  want  to  see  thoroughly  what  garrison 
life  is  like.  Potter  has  only  half  a  house,  though  I  sup 
pose  he's  rich  enough  to  buy  up  all  West  Point  if  it  were 
for  sale;  but  he  had  got  a  chum  of  his,  who  lives  in  the 
other  half,  to  clear  out  of  his  part  and  give  it  to  us  for  the 
day  and  night. 

Vic  has  been  to  Aldershot,  and  even  to  Malta  and  Gib. 
But  I  never  have,  and  I  never  saw  any  officers'  quarters  at 
home,  so  I  don't  know  how  they  compare  with  American 
ones.  Potter's  and  his  friend's  are  exactly  like  a  doll's 
house  turned  into  a  museum.  The  rooms  are  tiny,  and 
most  of  the  furniture  is  made  to  fold  up ;  but  Stan  would 
be  green  with  envy  if  he  could  see  their  Persian  rugs,  and 
their  silver  things,  and  their  dozens  of  Meerschaums,  and 
their  curiosities  from  all  over  the  world. 

I  asked  Potter  what  he  would  do  when  he  was  ordered 
away. 

"  That  depends  on  where  I'm  ordered,"  said  he.  "  If 
I  don't  like  the  place,  I'll  resign,  and  be  a  mere  cit.  It 
would  be  easy  to  get  back  again  into  the  Army  if  there 
were  any  fun  going." 

"What  kind  of  fun?  "  I  wanted  to  know. 

"  A  war  with  somebody,  of  course,"  said  he.  Men  have 
the  most  extraordinary  ideas  of  fun.  But  they  seem  to 
be  alike  about  that  in  England  and  America.  They  are 


106    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

never  so  happy  as  when  they  are  killing  something  or  in 
danger  of  being  killed  themselves.  I  can't  imagine  how 
it  would  feel  to  be  like  that;  but  I  know  if  they  were 
different  we  should  hate  them.  And  Potter  looked  so  nice 
in  his  soldier  clothes  (which  he  got  into  while  we  were 
making  ourselves  pretty  for  lunch)  that  I  couldn't  help 
thinking  it  would  be  a  pity  for  him  to  leave  the  army. 

His  friend  was  invited  to  lunch  with  us,  to  make  up 
for  sacrificing  his  house.  He  is  nicer  than  Potter,  or  even 
Mr.  Doremus ;  but  not  half  so  handsome  or  brave  looking, 
or  with  such  a  charming  voice  as  poor  Jim  Brett — who 
is  not,  I  suppose,  a  gentleman  except  by  nature ;  otherwise 
he  couldn't  have  been  in  the  steerage. 

I  thought  it  was  silly  to  have  wire  nettings  in  all  the 
doors  and  windows,  just  to  keep  away  a  few  innocent 
midges,  until  we  sat  out  after  lunch.  There  is  a  pleasant 
balcony  with  an  upstairs  and  a  downstairs,  which  Potter 
and  Captain  Collingwood  call  the  "  piazza,"  and  it  would 
have  been  delightful  sitting  there  while  the  men  smoked, 
if  appalling  little  animals  with  a  ridiculous  number  of 
thin,  stick-out  legs  hadn't  come  buzzing  round  us. 
They  were  saucy-looking  things,  got  up  in  loud  suits  of 
black  and  grey  stripes,  not  in  the  least  like  our  quiet, 
respectable  midges  at  home;  and  they  weren't  even  hon 
ourable  enough  to  wait  until  sunset  before  attacking  you. 
They  pricked  horribly,  like  pins  your  maid  has  stuck  in 
the  wrong  places;  and  they  had  a  horrid  penchant  for 
your  ankles.  I  was  sorry  I  had  on  clocked  stockings! 
And  I  apologised  heartily  to  Potter  for  poking  fun  at 
his  wire  nettings. 

Though  it  was  so  hot,  the  air  was  delicious.  It  smelt  of 
new-mown  grass  and  lilies,  with  a  sharp  little  spicy  tang 
of  the  thick  Virginia  creepers,  which  made  a  shadowy 
green  room  of  the  "  piazza."  Birds  were  simply  roaring 


ABOUT    WEST    POINT  107 

with  joy  in  the  trees  that  overhung  the  house,  and  Potter 
and  I  almost  quarrelled  because  he  would  insist  that  some 
huge  creatures  hopping  about  on  the  grass  were  robins. 
They  would  have  made  three  of  ours,  and  were  much  more 
like  quails  that  had  spilt  strawberry  juice  on  their  breasts. 

By  and  by  Captain  Collingwood  asked  if  "  Lady  Betty 
didn't  want  to  go  and  see  things." 

"  She's  booked  to  me  for  Flirtation  Walk,"  said  Potter, 
before  I  could  answer.  "  Three's  a  crowd  there,  old  chap." 
On  which  I  regret  to  state  Captain  Collingwood  suggested 
that  Potter  should  teach  his  own  grandmother  something 
about  nourishing  herself  with  an  egg  diet. 

"Anyhow,  I  suppose  you  don't  object  to  a  rearguard 
for  inspection  of  camp,  and  other  features  of  public 
interest,"  he  went  on;  and  after  some  hesitation  Potter 
decided  that  this  would  be  admissible. 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  Sally  both  wanted  to  lie  down  (it's 
strange  the  fondness  American  women  have  for  putting 
themselves  in  a  horizontal  position  in  the  daytime!)  so 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay  said  that  she  would  commission  her  brother 
as  chaperon;  I  needn't  be  anxious,  she  assured  me,  it 
was  quite  comme  il  faut.  As  if  I  would  have  worried  about 
a  thing  like  that! 

I  was  delighted  to  go,  because  the  most  interesting 
groups  had  been  passing  the  house,  and  it  was  difficult 
to  see  all  you  wanted  to  through  the  veil  of  creepers,  with 
out  continually  craning  your  neck.  Tall,  brown-faced 
boys,  got  up  much  like  glorified  Buttons,  were  sauntering 
about,  holding  sunshades  over  the  heads  of  girls  so  young 
that  they  would  have  been  in  short  frocks  with  their  hair 
down  their  backs,  in  England.  The  girls  were  in  white 
muslin  or  pale  colours,  with  charming,  floppy  Leghorn 
hats  trimmed  with  flowers ;  and  they  looked  like  the  dain 
tiest,  prettiest  of  French  dolls.  But  I  was  a  great  deal 


108    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

more  interested  in  the  youths,  who  were  the  cadets — first 
classmen,  Potter  said,  and  would  be  second  lieutenants 
next  year. 

I  never  could  take  much  interest  in  Eton  boys,  the  few 
I  have  seen,  for  they  look  such  children  that  one  would 
be  positively  ashamed  to  bother  with  them;  but  the  West 
Point  cadets  (though  one  couldn't  exactly  take  them 
seriously  like  regularly  grown-up  men,  perhaps),  fasci 
nated  me  from  the  very  first  glance  through  Potter's 
Virginia  creeper.  They  looked  as  if  they  thought  a  lot 
of  themselves,  and  the  girls  they  were  with  had  the  air  of 
encouraging  them  to  think  it.  I  wondered  what  kind  of 
things  they  said  to  girls  and  secretly  longed  to  find  out. 

It  seems  that  in  summer  the  cadets  leave  their  barracks 
and  go  into  camp,  which  is  a  time  of  year  that  the  girls  who 
visit  West  Point  and  those  whose  fathers  are  stationed 
there,  like  very  much.  We  had  a  glimpse  of  the  tents 
from  the  long  street  of  the  officers'  quarters ;  and  after 
we  had  visited  a  few  technical  things  in  which  I  was  too 
polite  to  show  that  I  was  hardly  interested,  we  strolled 
over  to  where  we  could  see  the  little  white  pyramids  gleam 
ing  under  the  Stars  and  Stripes. 

I  had  been  afraid  that  all  the  cadets  would  have  gone 
away  to  Flirtation  Walk,  with  girls,  but  to  my  joy  there 
were  plenty  left  in  camp.  On  chairs  under  the  trees  near 
by  two  or  three  ladies  were  sitting  with  some  white-butter 
fly  girls;  and  a  crowd  of  cadets  were  talking  to  them. 

"  There's  a  great  pal  of  mine,  Mrs.  Laurence,"  said 
Captain  Collingwood.  "  She  would  love  to  know  you, 
Lady  Betty.  Do  you  mind  if  I  introduce  you  to  each 
other?  " 

"  See  here,  that  means  we  shall  be  hitched  up  with  all 
that  lot  of  cadets,"  Potter  objected,  quite  crossly. 
"  What's  the  good  of  wasting  time  ?  " 


ABOUT    WEST    POINT  109 

I  hurried  to  say  that  I  shouldn't  consider  it  a  waste  of 
time,  that  I  should  be  delighted  to  meet  Mrs.  Laurence, 
and  also  a  few  sample  cadets,  if  any  could  be  provided 
for  the  consumption  of  an  enquiring  British  tourist. 

Captain  Collingwood  thought  that  one  or  two  might 
be  found  who  would  not  object  to  the  sacrifice;  and  five 
minutes  later  I  was  having  more  fun  than  I  had  ever  had 
before  in  my  life. 

Mrs.  Laurence  was  sweet,  and  so  tactful.  She  scarcely 
talked  to  me  at  all,  except  to  ask  me  how  I  liked  America, 
and  a  few  of  the  things  people  are  obliged  to  get  off  their 
minds  when  they  meet  a  foreigner;  and  then  she  intro 
duced  five  cadets. 

I  was  terrified  for  a  minute,  because  until  I  left  home 
my  whole  (youthful)  male  experience  consisted  of  one 
brother,  three  cousins,  and  two  curates,  dealt  with  sepa 
rately  and  with  long  sleepy  intervals  between.  I  began 
to  wonder  how  I  could  possibly  manage  five  tall  youths 
at  once,  and  to  rack  my  brains  for  the  right  kind  of  con 
versation;  but  before  I  should  have  had  time  to  say 
"  knife  "  to  a  curate,  I  found  myself  chatting  away  with 
those  cadets  as  if  I  had  grown  up  with  them.  I  never  once 
stopped  to  think  what  I  should  say  next,  and  neither  did 
they. 

Some  girls  were  introduced  to  me,  too,  but  luckily  they 
didn't  seem  to  expect  me  to  talk  to  them  much,  so  I  didn't. 
More  and  more  cadets  kept  coming  over  from  camp,  and 
joining  our  group,  and  being  introduced  in  agreeable 
droves,  until  I  gave  up  even  trying  to  remember  their 
names. 

There  was  one,  though,  in  the  first  batch  of  five,  whose 
name  was  easy  to  get  hold  of  and  keep  in  mind,  because  it 
was  Smith.  Besides,  he  was  the  best  looking  of  all,  which 
made  classifying  him  a  real  pleasure. 


110    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

The  girls  who  spoke  to  Mr.  Smith  called  him  "  Captain," 
perhaps  jokingly,  and  I  asked  how  he  could  be  a  captain 
and  yet  a  cadet,  unless  it  meant  cricket.  Then  he  explained 
that  the  cadets  had  all  the  different  grades  of  officers,  from 
Adjutant  and  Captain  down  to  Sergeant,  and  wanted  to 
know  if  there  were  any  other  questions  I  would  care  to  ask. 
I  said  that  there  were,  lots,  but  I  wasn't  sure  if  I  might. 

"  I  give  you  a  permit,"  said  he,  in  a  military  way. 

So  I  began  with  the  buttons.  "  I  should  like  to  know 
why  you  have  so  many — all  those  rows  on  your  jackets; 
and  it's  only  the  middle  row  you  seem  to  use  for  anything." 

"  We  use  the  others  to  give  away  to  girls,  to  remember 
us  by,"  answered  my  cadet.  "  It's  forbidden,  but  that's 
a  detail.  Or  rather  it's  why  the  girls  like  to  have  them." 

I  stared.    "  None  of  yours  are  missing." 

"  Most  of  'em  are  pinned  on  at  present.  It's  that  way 
with  all  of  us.  Our  Plebs  sew  'em  on  for  us  at  night,  and 
use  the  door  for  a  thimble." 

"  Oh,  what  are  Plebs,  if  you  please  ?  Are  you  allowed 
valets?" 

"  I  guess  they  call  'em  fags  in  your  country.  There 
are  a  lot  of  them  lying  around.  Shall  I  have  some  caught 
and  dragged  here?  They  might  squirm  a  bit,  as  they 
aren't  used  to  ladies'  society,  but " 

I  hastily  protested  against  such  a  cruel  exhibition,  and 
went  on  with  my  questions.  I  asked  what  they  did  in 
winter,  and  how  long  they  had  to  be  cadets,  and  whether 
they  were  in  a  hurry  to  be  officers. 

"  Not  as  long  as  the  girls  can  put  up  with  us  as  we  are," 
said  my  cadet.  "  Some  of  them  even  pretend  they  like  us 
better." 

"  I  can  quite  understand  that !  "  I  exclaimed.  And  then 
they  all  laughed,  and  some  of  them  applauded. 

"  The  really  important  question  is,"  said  Captain  or 


ABOUT    WEST    POINT  111 

Mr.  Smith,  "  whether  you  are  going  to  be  an  officers'  or 
a  cadets'  lady." 

I  hadn't  an  idea  what  he  meant,  but  I  remembered  Vic's 
saying  that  in  the  lower  middle  classes  they  sometimes 
call  a  man's  wife  his  "  lady."  Perhaps,  I  thought,  the  ex 
pression  had  been  brought  over  to  the  nicest  people  in 
America,  in  the  Mayflower,  which  they  all  talk  so  much 
about ;  for  certainly  some  of  the  people  in  her  must  have 
been  cooks  or  in  the  steerage ;  there  are  too  many  descend 
ants  for  the  first  class  passengers  alone.  After  considering 
for  a  minute  I  said  in  rather  an  embarrassed  way  that  I 
wasn't  "  quite  sure  yet  whether  I  would  be  either." 

"  You  must  be  one  or  the  other,  you  know,  or  you'll  be 
like  the  bat  in  the  fable  who  was  neither  bird  nor  beast, 
and  so  was  out  of  all  the  fun  on  both  sides.  I  may  be  prej 
udiced,  but  I  advise  you  to  be  a  cadets'  lady.  And  you'd 
better  decide  now  on  account  of  to-night." 

"  To-night?  "  I  repeated,  puzzled. 

"  Yes,  on  account  of  making  out  your  card.  Say, 
Lady  Betty,  if  you  are  going  in  with  us,  can  I  make  out 
your  card?  " 

Then  arose  a  clamour.  It  appeared  that  they  all  wanted 
to  make  out  the  card — whatever  it  was.  I  asked  if  I 
couldn't  have  one  from  each,  but  it  appeared  that  you 
couldn't  do  that.  My  cadet  had  spoken  first,  so  he  said 
that  he  would  do  it;  but  the  others  could  give  me  bell- 
buttons  and  chevrons,  and  decorate  fans  for  me  instead. 

"  Do  you  like  hops,  Lady  Betty?"  enquired  a  perfect 
pet  of  a  cadet,  who  looked  like  a  cherub  in  uniform. 

"  Hops  ?  "  I  wondered  why  he  should  ask  me  such  an 
irrelevant  question,  but  I  answered  as  intelligently  as  I 
could.  "  I  don't  know  much  about  them.  I  think  they're 
graceful,  but  I  don't  like  the  smell." 

He  looked  petrified.     "  The  smell?  " 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

"  Yes.     It  makes  one  sleepy." 

"  I  guess  we  won't  give  you  much  chance  to  be  sleepy 
to-night,"  said  he,  "  at  our  hop." 

Then  I  understood.  But  what  a  funny  thing  to  call  a 
ball;  a  "hop!" 

They  explained,  too,  when  they  saw  how  stupid  I  was, 
that  you  were  an  "  officers'  lady  "  if  you  danced  with 
them,  and  walked  with  them,  and  flirted  with  them,  and 
didn't  bother  with  cadets;  or  vice  versa.  Then  I  de 
cided  at  once  that  I  would  be  a  cadets'  lady,  though  I 
was  sorry  I  had  only  one  night  to  be  it  in.  They  were 
sorry,  too,  and  showed  their  sorrow  in  so  many  nice  ways 
that  I  enjoyed  myself  immensely,  and  quite  saw  how  nice 
it  must  feel  to  be  out,  if  you  are  a  success.  They  wanted 
to  draw  lots  for  which  cadet  should  take  me  to  Flirtation 
Walk,  but  I  said  I  had  to  go  with  Mr.  Parker. 

He  must  have  been  listening  from  a  distance,  (though 
he  ought  to  have  been  talking  with  a  pretty  girl  who  had 
no  hat,)  for  he  came  up  to  me  at  once,  and  announced 
that  it  was  time  to  go  now.  He  rather  put  on  airs  of  hav 
ing  a  right  to  tell  me  what  I  must  do,  and  I  didn't  like  it 
much,  especially  before  those  dear  cadets,  but  it  would 
have  been  childish  to  make  a  fuss.  Besides,  I  was  his 
guest. 

I  went,  like  a  disagreeable  lamb  sulking  on  its  way  to 
the  slaughter ;  but,  thank  goodness,  I  was  engaged  already 
for  nearly  all  the  dances,  and  most  of  them  had  to  be 
split  in  two;  there  were  so  many  cadets  for  them.  (I 
think,  by  the  by,  I  shall  try  to  get  Stan  to  take  me  to 
Sandhurst  some  day,  to  see  if  it  is  at  all  like  West  Point; 
and  whether  they  have  hops.) 

Potter  made  fun  of  the  cadets,  and  called  them  "  white 
meat,"  and  "  little  things  that  got  in  the  way  " ;  but  when 
I  asked  a  straight  question  he  had  to  confess  that  he  had 


ABOUT    WEST    POINT  113 

been  one  himself  only  six  years  ago.  "  I  was  twenty-two 
when  I  graduated,"  he  said.  "  One  of  the  youngest  men 
in  my  class."  Which  was  the  same  as  telling  me  that 
he  is  twenty-eight  now.  Ten  years  older  than  I  am !  It 
makes  him  seem  quite  old. 

Somehow,  although  he  is  so  nice  to  me  in  most  ways, 
he  stirs  me  up  to  feel  antagonistic,  as  though  I  wanted  to 
contradict  him,  and  not  like  things  that  he  likes ;  and  I 
believe  it  is  the  same  with  him  about  me,  for  I  make  his 
eyes  look  angry  very  often.  I  felt  he  was  disappointed 
because  I  admired  the  cadets  so  much,  and  had  promised 
so  many  dances,  and  I  was  in  a  mood  to  tease  him.  But 
I  fancy  he  isn't  the  kind  who  would  take  teasing  well ;  and 
the  scenery  he  was  showing  me  was  so  beautiful  that  pres 
ently  I  resolved  to  be  good. 

We  saw  Kosciusko's  monument,  and  I  would  insist  upon 
his  telling  me  things  about  Kosciusko  himself,  though 
Potter  didn't  seem  to  think  him  important;  and  then  we 
began  winding  our  way  along  a  most  exquisite  path  over 
hanging  the  river,  always  shadowed  by  trees.  Sometimes 
it  was  cut  through  a  green  arbour,  with  a  light  like  liquid 
emeralds;  sometimes  it  ran  high  on  the  rocks;  sometimes 
it  dipped  down  close  to  the  water;  but  invariably  there 
was  just  enough  room  for  two,  and  no  more,  to  walk  side 
by  side. 

We  met  several  couples — cadets  and  girls;  young  offi 
cers  and  girls ;— sauntering  or  sitting  down  close  together 
in  out  of  the  way  places.  But  by  and  by  we  seemed  to 
have  passed  beyond  the  inhabited  zone.  Then  Potter 
asked  me  if  I  were  not  tired  from  so  much  walking,  and  if 
I  wouldn't  like  to  rest.  I  said  no,  and  he  promptly  pre 
tended  to  be  done  up,  which  I  thought  very  silly;  but  of 
course  I  had  to  sit  down  by  him  on  a  rock  with  a  green, 
moss-velvet  cushion. 


114    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  This  is  what  I've  been  longing  for  all  day,"  said  he. 

I  hadn't;  and  I  was  thinking  about  the  cadets.  But  I 
agreed  that  it  was  beautiful. 

"  Yes,  it  is,"  he  answered,  looking  at  me.  "  I  never 
saw  anything  so  pretty.  Say,  Lady  Betty,  you're  an 
awful  flirt." 

I  did  open  my  eyes  at  that.  "  A  flirt ! "  I  exclaimed. 
"  I  never  had  a  chance  to  try  being  it." 

"  I  guess  you  don't  need  to  try.  There's  some  things 
girls  like  you  are  born  knowing.  I've  been  miserable  all 
the  afternoon.  Couldn't  you  see  my  agony?  " 

"  I  didn't  notice,"  said  I. 

"  Ah?  that's  the  trouble.  You  weren't  thinking  of  me. 
Of  course,  I  oughtn't  to  have  cared  for  those  little  boys," 
(some  of  them  were  inches  taller  than  he)  "  but  I  couldn't 
help  it.  I  kept  saying  inside,  '  This  is  a  foretaste  of  what 
I've  got  to  suffer  when  she's  staying  with  Katherine  at 
The  Moorings.  I  don't  know  when  I've  been  so  unpopular 
with  myself.  I  don't  see  how  I'm  going  to  get  along  un 
less  you'll  be  nice  to  me ;  right  now." 

"  I  am  nice  to  you,"  I  said.  "  As  nice  as  I  know  how 
to  be." 

"  I  could  teach  you  to  be  a  lot  nicer.  Say,  Lady  Betty, 
let  me,  won't  you  ?  " 

His  eyes,  though  they  are  such  a  pale  blue,  had  that  silly, 
melting  look  in  them  that  my  cousin  Loveland's  have  when 
he  talks  to  me.  "Let  you  do  what?"  I  asked,  almost 
snappishly,  for  a  person  sitting  in  such  a  lovely  place. 

"  Teach  you  to  like  me.  I  fell  all  over  myself  in  love 
with  you  the  first  minute  I  saw  you." 

"  Day  before  yesterday !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  What  non 
sense.  You're  poking  fun  at  me.  I  don't  believe  in  love 
at  first  sight — at  least,  I  don't  think  I  do.  Anyhow,  no 
body  could  fall  in  love  with  me  in  that  way." 


ABOUT    WEST    POINT  115 

"  Couldn't  they,  though?  That's  all  you  know  about  it, 
then.  All  Americans  will  fall  in  love  with  you  like  that, 
and  it's  just  what  I  want  to  guard  against.  I  want  you 
to  be  engaged  to  me  before  you  go  to  Newport.  Then  I 
shall  feel  kind  of  safe." 

"  Dear  me,  are  you  really  proposing,  and  it  isn't  in 
joke?"  I  asked.  "I  do  wish  you  wouldn't." 

"  Would  I  propose  to  Lady  Betty  Bulkeley  in  j  oke  ?  " 
he  reproached  me. 

"  The  idea  of  proposing  to  any  girl  when  you've  only 
seen  her  three  times !  " 

"  What  did  I  tell  you  about  my  friend  in  San  Francisco? 
I  was  working  slowly  up  to  this,  even  then." 

"  Slowly!  " 

"  Yes,  very  slowly.  I  think  I've  shown  a  great  deal  of 
patience.  American  girls — the  beauties,  I  mean — are 
quite  hurt  if  a  fellow  doesn't  propose  somewhere  along  in 
the  first  day  or  two.  They  think  he  can't  appreciate 
their  real  worth,  and  that  he  deserves  what  he  gets  if 
some  other  chap  walks  away  with  them.  Now,  I'm  not  go 
ing  to  sit  still  on  my  perch  and  see  anything  else  walking 
off  with  you." 

I  couldn't  help  laughing.  "I'll  call  for  help  if  I 
think  there's  any  danger,"  said  I ;  "  but  I  can't  promise 
more  than  that.  I  didn't  come  over  to  America  to  pick 
up  a  husband." 

He  looked  at  me  rather  queerly  when  I  said  that,  almost 
as  if  he  thought  I  had  come  for  that  express  purpose,  and 
was  trying  to  conceal  it.  But,  of  course,  he  couldn't  be 
so  horrid  as  to  suppose  such  a  thing  really,  and  I  must 
have  imagined  the  strange  expression.  If  he  only  knew, 
I  came  away  so  that  another  girl  might  be  sure  to  get  a 
husband,  and  I'm  not  allowed  to  go  back  until  he  has  been 


116    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  They're  just  growing  around  on  blackberry  bushes 
and  in  strawberry  patches  for  you  to  pick  and  choose," 
said  Potter,  "  and  that's  what  worries  me.  I'm  a  wildly 
jealous  fellow.  I've  got  two  month's  leave  so  as  to  be 
with  you  at  Newport,  and  I  tell  you  I  shall  see  a  bright, 
beautiful  crimson,  if  too  many  dudes  come  fooling  around 
the  shanty.  Say,  won't  you  just  play  we're  engaged, 
anyhow,  and  see  how  you  like  it?  " 

But  now  I  was  really  cross,  and  wouldn't  hear  a  word 
more  of  such  nonsense,  so  I  jumped  up,  and  he  had  to 
scramble  up,  too. 

"  If  you've  really  proposed — which  I  doubt — "  said  I, 
"  you  must  please  understand  that  you've  been  formally  re 
fused.  But  I  forgive  you  because  I  believe  you  must 
have  been  chaffing,  and  because  it's  my  first  proposal; 
so  at  all  events  I  can't  die  without  having  had  at  least  one. 
Now,  do  be  sensible  and  take  me  back,  or  I  shall  have  to 
find  my  way  alone, — or  else  ask  a  strange  cadet  to  pilot 
me." 

That  threat  found  a  vulnerable  spot;  and  he  was  not 
half  bad  on  the  way  home — perhaps  no  worse  than  the 
name  of  the  Walk  allowed. 

I  was  a  good  deal  excited  about  the  ball,  as  it  was  my 
very  first.  Sally  Woodburn  had  looked  at  my  things,  and 
told  me  what  to  bring.  Not  that  it  was  a  hard  choice, 
for  I  have  only  four  frocks  with  me,  in  which  I  could  go 
to  a  dance.  The  one  Sally  wanted  me  to  wear  at  West 
Point  is  a  little  white  thing,  of  embroidered  India  muslin. 
Thompson  made  it  after  one  of  Vic's,  and  it  is  a  rag  com 
pared  to  Sally's  and  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  gorgeous  things. 
But  when  Sally  had  done  my  hair  in  a  new  way,  (they  had 
left  Louise  behind,  as  there  was  no  room  for  her),  and 
fastened  round  my  throat  a  lovely  string  of  pearls  she 
brought  on  purpose,  I  looked  quite  nice. 


ABOUT   WEST    POINT  117 

The  "  hop  "  was  in  a  great  big  room  which  the  cadets 
use  for  something  or  other,  I  forget  what;  and  it 
was  decorated  with  quantities  of  American  flags.  There 
were  lots  of  girls — the  youngest  things!  hardly  any  of 
them  could  have  been  out — but  there  were  even  more  men ; 
counting  officers  and  cadets,  at  least  two  for  each  girl. 

The  card  which  my  particular  cadet  had  talked  about 
making  for  me,  was  a  programme,  with  all  the  dances 
and  the  men's  names,  and  illuminations  which  he  had  put 
or),  himself.  It  was  beautiful,  and  I  told  him  that  I  would 
always  keep  it.  I  danced  every  dance,  with  two  partners 
for  each,  and  there  was  a  cotillion  afterwards  with  favours 
to  remind  the  girls  who  got  them,  of  West  Point;  little 
flags,  and  buttons,  and  bits  of  gold  lace ;  but  I  was  very 
lucky,  for  some  of  the  friends  I  had  made  in  camp  had 
smuggled  me  special  things,  and  I  shall  have  quite  a  col 
lection  of  sergeant's  stripes  and  corporal's  chevrons,  belt 
buckles  and  beautiful  bright  bell-buttons  with  initials 
scratched  on  them. 

I  don't  believe  Vic  had  half  so  much  fun  at  her  first  ball 
as  I  had  at  mine,  although  hers  is  so  many  seasons  ago 
now  that  I  can't  remember  what  she  said  about  it.  I  was 
only  a  little  girl  then,  and  she  wasn't  in  the  habit  of 
telling  me  things,  as  she  is  now. 

Although  I  didn't  get  to  bed  till  after  two,  I  was  up 
early  next  morning,  because  I  had  promised  my  best  cadets 
that  I  would  be  at  morning  parade,  or  whatever  they  call 
it,  to  say  good-bye.  Sally  went  with  me,  and  it  was  quite 
an  affecting  parting.  I  shall  never  forget  those  dear  boys 
if  I  live  to  be  a  hundred,  though  I  can't  remember  any  of 
their  names,  as  after  all  I  lost  the  card  I  meant  to  keep 
always. 


VI 
ABOUT    THE    PARK    AND    LOVE    STORIES 

A [<  the  preparations  that  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  had  to  make 
for  Newport    kept  us  two  more   days  in   New 
York ;  and  it  was  terribly  hot,  but  I  was  not  sorry 
to  stay,  because  we  did  so  many  amusing  things. 
Mr.  Doremus  was  detained  too — by  his  tailor,  he  said 
— so  we  saw  a  good  deal  of  him,  as  Mrs.  Van  der  Windt 
had  left  for  her  Newport  cottage.     We  did  go  to  a  roof 
garden  entertainment,  after  all,  and  it  was  most  fascina 
ting,  but  quite  without  the  feeling  that  you  might  fall  off, 
which  I  had  expected  to  have.     I  saw  the  moon  coming  up, 
and    gilding   thousands    of    roofs,    and   I    couldn't    help 
wondering  which  was  the  roof  of  that  club  where  poor, 
handsome   Jim   Brett   was   employed;   though   of   course 
it   was    impossible   to    speak    of   him   to    anyone   except 
Vivace. 

We  lunched  one  day  at  an  enormous  and  very  fashion 
able  red  brick  hotel  called  the  Waldorf-Astoria,  and  went 
into  a  Turkish  Room,  and  had  delicious  things  to  eat  in 
a  beautiful  restaurant,  which  had  not  at  all  an  out-of- 
season  air,  though  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  said  that  most  of  the  well- 
groomed  looking  people  whom  I  suspected  of  being  leaders 
of  the  Four  Hundred  were  only  "  trippers."  I  do  wonder, 
by  the  way,  why  one  always  has  an  innate  sense  of  con 
tempt  for  trippers,  and  longs  to  be  sniffy  and  show  one's 
own  superiority?  We  must  all  be  trippers  somewhere  and 
sometimes,  or  we  would  never  see  anything  of  the  world; 
indeed  I  suppose  I  am  by  way  of  being  a  tripper  now. 

113 


ABOUT    THE    PARK  119 

But  one  never  seems  to  regard  one's  self  in  such  a  light, 
or  imagine  that  anybody  else  could  be  so  undiscerning. 

I  hadn't  known  that  a  hotel  could  be  as  big  as  the  Wal 
dorf-Astoria,  though  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  says  there  are  several 
just  about  as  large  in  New  York,  and  she  has  heard  there 
are  one  or  two  in  Chicago,  but  she  thanks  Heaven  she 
doesn't  know  anything  personally  about  that.  When  she 
made  this  remark  I  remembered  what  Sally  had  told  me  in 
confidence  about  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  life  before  she  began  to 
qualify  for  the  Four  Hundred.  But  of  course  I  did  not 
make  any  allusion  to  the  subject,  for  fear  it  was  a  skele 
ton  in  her  closet.  And  Sally  says  that  well-regulated 
Chicago  people  think  New  York  a  one-horse  place  com 
pared  to  their  town,  which  is  really  wonderful  and  most 
interesting,  as  I  shall  find  out  if  I  see  it.  I  wish  I  could, 
but  I  suppose  I  shan't,  as  I  came  over  to  visit  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay,  not  to  do  sight-seeing. 

The  second  day  after  we  came  back  from  West  Point, 
as  I  went  downstairs  the  first  thing  in  the  morning,  I 
heard  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  at  the  telephone,  which  is  in  a  little 
room,  along  a  corridor  off  the  fountain  court. 

She  was  having  a  long  conversation  with  someone,  laugh 
ing  and  chatting  just  as  if  she  were  talking  to  a  visitor; 
and  presently  my  name  came  in.  "  Yes,  Lady  Betty 

Bu ,  no,  not  pronounced  that  way,  my  child.  As  if 

it  were  spelt  B-U-C-K-,  yes,  that's  right.  Such  a  pretty 
girl,  a  perfect  dear.  I  expect  the  men  will  be  wild  about 
her  at  Newport.  Potter  raves  over  her.  Ha,  ha,  ha !  Do 
you  think  so?  Well,  perhaps.  I've  known  stranger 
things  to  happen.  No,  it's  not  her  father,  but  her 
brother,  who's  the  Duke;  awfully  good-looking.  I  wish 
he  could  have  come  too.  But  you  see  Sally  wouldn't — 
you  know  what  Sally  is.  No,  she's  never  got  over  that 
old  affair.  Southern  women  are  so  romantic.  Yes,  I'll 


120    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

bring  dear  little  Betty  with  me  if  it  won't  tire  you. 
She " 

Then  I  began  to  think  I  ought  to  let  her  know  I  was 
there,  for  one  hates  to  eavesdrop.  So  I  yelled  at  the  top 
of  my  lungs  that  I  was  in  the  hall,  waiting  to  go  to  break 
fast,  and  couldn't  help  hearing  every  word  she  said.  How 
ever,  she  didn't  mind  a  bit,  and  called  to  me  to  come  into 
the  telephone  room. 

"  I'm  talking  to  a  friend  of  mine  who  has  just  been 
moved  back  to  her  own  apartment  after  getting  over  ap 
pendicitis,"  she  explained.  "  Poor  thing,  she's  such  an 
indefatigable  society  woman,  and  she  does  so  hate  being 
stuck  in  the  city  at  this  season.  I've  just  been  promising 
to  run  in  and  see  her  this  afternoon,  and  I'd  like  to  take  you 
if  you'll  go.  She'd  love  to  see  you.  I'll  introduce  you 
now  by  'phone." 

With  that,  she  began  to  chat  into  the  thing  again,  in 
a  chummy  sort  of  way  which  seemed  quite  uncanny,  as  I 
have  always  looked  upon  a  telephone  as  an  official  kind  of 
machine  which  you  prepared  for  with  fasting  and  prayer, 
and  only  had  recourse  to  when  strictly  necessary  for  im 
portant  business.  "  Here's  Lady  Betty,"  said  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay.  "  I'm  going  to  introduce  you.  Now,  Betty,  take 
hold  of  the " 

"  Oh,  I  can't.  I  don't  know  how.  I  never  did,"  I  ob 
jected,  feeling  as  if  she  were  going  to  force  me  into  taking 
gas  against  my  will. 

She  would  have  me  try,  so  I  did,  as  it's  very  difficult  to 
oppose  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  even  in  the  smallest  thing.  But  I 
couldn't  hear  a  word,  only  a  horrid  buzzing,  so  she  had  to 
let  me  off,  and  just  tell  me  that  the  lady  we  were  to  call 
on  was  Mrs.  Harvey  Richmount  Taylour. 

"  If  you're  going  to  stay  long  in  America,  you'll  have 
to  get  used  to  the  'phone,"  said  she.  "  We  do  half  our 


ABOUT    THE    PARK 

shopping,  and  some  of  our  calling,  and  make  about  all 
our  appointments  that  way.  If  we  didn't,  there'd  be  more 
cases  of  nervous  prostration  than  there  are,  and  goodness 
knows  there  are  enough  now,  even  since  Blue  Rays  have 
come  in.  Many  love  affairs  are  carried  on  practically  en 
tirely  by  'phone,  and  I've  heard  that  in  case  of  necessity, 
marriage  ceremonies  can  be  performed  by  it." 

"  How  about  divorces  ?  "  I  asked.  And  I  was  quite 
serious,  but  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  didn't  seem  to  think  the  ques 
tion  worth  an  answer.  So  she  switched  off  her  friend,  and 
rang  up  two  or  three  tradespeople  of  whom  she  ordered 
scent,  and  chocolates,  and  some  new  books,  and  told  a  mani 
cure  to  call.  Then  we  went  in  to  breakfast. 

It  appears  that  the  manicure  person  is  a  great  catch, 
and  you  are  very  lucky  to  get  him  without  making  an  ap 
pointment  long  beforehand.  He  does  things  to  your  feet, 
too,  though  I  dared  not  ask  what;  and  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  in 
tended  to  stop  in  for  him  all  the  morning. 

While  she  was  talking  about  this,  Sally  was  glancing 
over  letters,  and  there  was  one  in  which  she  seemed  partic 
ularly  interested.  She  looked  up  from  it  suddenly,  when 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay  said  she  was  not  going  out,  and  exclaimed, 
"  Oh,  then  I  may  have  Betty.  How  nice,  I  do  so  want  to 
show  her  the  Park." 

"I'll  go  with  you,"  Potter  broke  in  quickly,  but  Sally 
shook  her  head. 

"  No,  I  want  her  to  myself,  thank  you — just  for  this 
once." 

Potter  looked  cross,  but  said  no  more,  and  it  was  ar 
ranged  that  Sally  and  I  should  start  in  about  an  hour. 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay  thought  we  ought  to  get  off  at  once,  as  it 
would  be  cooler ;  but  for  some  reason  Sally  did  not  like  that 
idea.  Meanwhile,  she  ran  out  herself  on  an  errand,  but 
did  not  offer  to  take  me. 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

Even  people  who  have  absolutely  nothing  to  do  except 
to  amuse  themselves  appear  to  like  waking  up  and  having 
breakfast  much  earlier  than  we  do.  This  morning,  as 
usual,  we  had  finished  breakfast  by  half  past  nine,  and  by 
a  quarter  past  ten  Sally  had  come  back  to  fetch  Vivace 
and  me  for  our  walk. 

I  hadn't  yet  been  shown  Central  Park.  Mrs.  Ess  Kay 
said  it  was  horrid  out  of  season;  but  Sally  didn't  agree 
with  her;  and  I  thought  it  lovely,  more  like  the  Bois  de 
Boulogne  than  our  Park,  and  yet  with  an  extraordinary 
individuality  of  its  own.  There  were  only  a  few  people 
of  our  sort,  riding  or  driving,  but  lots  of  children  were 
playing  about,  and  it  was  wonderful  that  the  trees  and 
grass  and  flowers  could  have  kept  so  fresh  through  such 
tremendous  heat.  I'm  sure  if  we  had  weather  like  that  in 
England  the  whole  vegetable  kingdom  would  go  on  strike. 

Whether  it  was  the  beauty  of  the  Park,  or  whether  it 
was  something  in  herself,  I  don't  know,  but  Sally  Wood- 
burn  was  in  a  sentimental  mood.  She  is  generally  full  of 
fun,  in  her  soft,  quiet  little  way;  but  this  morning  she 
was  all  poetry  and  romance.  She  quoted  Tennyson,  and 
several  modern  American  poets,  whose  names  I  was  ashamed 
to  say  I  didn't  even  know,  as  their  verses  seemed  charming ; 
and  when  she  had  found  a  certain  narrow,  shady  path 
which  she  had  been  looking  for,  suddenly  she  said,  "  Let's 
talk  about  love.  What  do  you  think  about  love,  Betty  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  anything  about  it  yet,  except  from 
books,"  said  I.  "  Mother  doesn't  like  my  reading  modern 
novels  much,  and  we  haven't  many  in  the  library,  for  Vic 
reads  French  ones  and  hides  them.  But  there  are  other 
books  besides  novels  that  tell  about  love — some  heavenly 
ones." 

"  I  should  think  there  were,"  said  Sally.  "  But  I  didn't 
ask  you  what  you  knew ;  I  asked  what  you  thought.  Have 


ABOUT    THE    PARK  123 

you  ever  thought  about  what  it  would  be  like  to  be  in 
love?" 

"  Yes,"  I  had  to  admit,  shamefacedly,  for  as  she  is  not 
a  man,  luckily  it  wasn't  necessary  to  tell  a  fib.  "  Have 
you?" 

"  I  know,  once  for  all,"  said  Sally,  in  a  changed  voice. 
"  That  is  why  I  wanted  to  talk  about  it  to  you,  before  you 
really  begin  life  over  here.  Perhaps — it  depends  on  your 
opinions  of  love — I'll  tell  you  my  little  story.  I  don't  tell 
it  to  people.  But  maybe  I  will  to  you,  this  morning. 
We  shall  see." 

"Is  it  a  sad  story,  dear?  "  I  asked. 

"  Yes.     It's  sad." 

"  Perhaps  it  may  end  well  yet,  though,"  I  tried  to  com 
fort  her. 

Sally  shook  her  head.  "  It  can't,  in  this  world.  And 
the  saddest  part  of  all  is  that  it  was  my  own  fault.  But  I 
didn't  understand  the  relative  value  of  things  when  I  lost 
the  one  thing  in  the  world  that  can  make  real  happiness 
for  a  woman.  I  should  like  you  to  understand  them  while 
you  still  have  time." 

"  And  I  should  love  to  hear  your  story,  if  it  won't  make 
you  too  sad  thinking  of  it,"  I  said. 

"  Oh,  I  am  always  thinking  of  it.  It's  never  really  out 
of  my  mind  for  a  minute.  It's  there,  you  know,  like  an 
undertone;  just  as  when  you  live  near  the  sea,  there's 
always  the  sound  of  the  waves  underlying  every  other 
sound,  though  you  mayn't  be  listening  for  it." 

"  Then  tell  me,"  I  said. 

"  Not  yet.  I  haven't  asked  you  the  questions  yet, 
which  will  show  me  when  you  answer  them,  whether  you 
need  to  hear  the  story  or  not.  Could  you  imagine  yourself 
marrying  without  first  being  in  love?  " 

"No-o,"   I   said  thoughtfully.     "Not  when   it   really 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

came  to  it.  But  Vic  says  that's  all  nonsense ;  that  no 
woman,  no  matter  how  much  she  thinks  herself  in  love, 
ever  stops  in  love  with  her  husband.  The  thing  is  to 
marry  a  man  who  will  let  you  do  as  you  like ;  and  of  course 
he  must  be  rich." 

Sally  sighed.  "  Well,  dear,  she's  your  sister,  and  I'm 
just  nothing  to  you  at  all,  but  I'd  like  to  tell  you  to  for 
get  about  her  advice,  and  not  care  whether  a  man  is  rich  or 
poor,  or  even  well  born,  if  only  he's  made  himself  a  gentle 
man,  body  and  heart  and  soul,  and  is  strong  and  clever 
enough  to  take  care  of  you." 

The  minute  she  said  that,  the  image  of  Jim  Brett  rose 
up  before  my  eyes.  I  think,  though  he  is  poor,  and  per 
haps  of  humble  birth,  that  the  girl  he  marries  will  be  happy 
— and  well  taken  care  of. 

"  You'll  hear  a  lot  of  talk  about  money  at  Newport," 
she  went  on,  "  too  much.  Among  some  of  the  people  you'll 
be  with,  money's  of  more  importance  than  anything  else. 
Two  or  three  rich  young  men  are  certain  to  ask  you  to 
marry  them — very  nice  fellows  they  may  be,  and  they  will 
show  you  heaps  of  attention — all  those  that  Cousin  Kath- 
erine  will  let  come  near  you — and  as  you're  so  young 
and  inexperienced,  you  may  lose  your  head  a  little  bit. 
But  do  remember  that  losing  your  head  and  being  flattered 
and  amused,  isn't  falling  in  love.  A  man  must  be  able  to 
make  you  love  him  for  himself,  and  that  self  must  be  worth 
loving;  for  nothing  else  is  any  good  in  the  end.  And 
now  I'll  tell  you  my  story — just  in  a  few  words — because 
it  will  give  you  something  to  think  about. 

"  I'm  thirty-two  now.  When  I  was  nineteen — a  year 
older  than  you — I  cared  for  a  man,  and  he  for  me.  We 
cared  for  each  other — terribly.  But  he  was  poor ;  and  not 
only  that,  he  came  from  people  whom  mine  looked  down 
upon.  We  loved  each  other  so  much,  though,  that  I 


ABOUT    THE    PARK  125 

would  have  married  him  in  spite  of  all;  but  my  relations 
thought  it  would  ruin  my  life,  and  they  advised,  and 
persuaded,  and  implored  and  insisted,  until  I  was  weak 
enough  to  give  the  man  up.  They  took  me  to  Europe, 
and  because  I  had  some  money  an  Italian  prince  we  met 
in  Rome  wanted  to  marry  me.  They  almost  argued  me 
into  consenting,  and  though  they  didn't  quite,  the  news 
went  home  to  Kentucky  that  I  was  engaged.  The  man  I 
really  loved — loved  dearly  all  the  time,  though  I  was  try 
ing  to  forget  him — believed  it.  Why  shouldn't  he,  since 
I'd  given  him  up  for  the  reasons  I  had?  He  was  Catholic, 
and  he  went  into  a  monastery  we  have  in  Kentucky,  and 
became  a  monk.  No  one  ever  wrote  to  me  about  it.  All 
my  friends  thought  the  less  I  heard  of  him  the  better. 
And  two  years  later,  when  I  went  back  home — not  en 
gaged,  and  thinking  in  my  heart  that  there  was,  and 
always  would  be,  only  one  man  for  me  in  the  world — it 
was  to  learn  that  that  man  had  taken  the  final  vows  which 
would  separate  him  from  earthly  love  for  ever. 

"  Oh,  Betty,  you  don't  know  what  I  suffered.  I'd  been 
saying  to  myself  that  when  I  saw  him  again — as  I  meant 
to — I  would  know  by  his  eyes  at  the  first  glance  whether 
he  still  cared  as  much  as  ever,  and  if  he  did,  I  would  ask 
him  to  marry  me.  But  I  never  saw  him  again,  except  with 
the  eyes  of  my  heart;  and  I  always  see  him  so.  Not  an 
hour  passes  that  I  don't  see  him  so." 

"  You  poor  darling !  "  I  exclaimed.  And  there  was  a 
note  in  her  voice  that  made  my  eyelids  sting.  "  How 
little  I  guessed.  And  you  seem  so  cheerful  and  even 
merry." 

"  One  isn't  in  the  world  to  be  a  wet  blanket,"  said 
Sally.  "  Besides,  one  isn't  actively  miserable  every  min 
ute,  for  years,  because  one  has  thrown  away  one's  chance 
of  real  happiness.  One  gets  along  contentedly  enough, 


126    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

except  in  the  bad  hours,  when,  instead  of  being  a  mild 
grey,  the  world  is  ink-black.  But  I  haven't  told  you  this 
to  get  sympathy,  dear.  It  hasn't  been  quite  easy  tell 
ing,  for  I  don't  talk  much  about  the  deep-down  things 
in  myself.  I've  told  you  in  the  hope  that  you'll  remem 
ber  me,  and  my  wasted  years,  if  your  chance  comes  to 
be  happy — even  if  it  should  be  a  chance  which  you  think, 
in  a  worldly  way,  wouldn't  be  prudent,  or  what  your 
people  would  like.  People  have  no  right  to  try  and  order 
our  lives,  no  matter  how  near  they  may  be  to  us.  It's 
we  who  have  to  live  our  lives,  not  they." 

For  a  minute  we  were  both  silent;  and  then  Sally  said 
quietly,  as  if  she  were  glad  to  speak,  "  Here  comes  some 
one  we've  seen  before.  Do  you  recognise  him?  And  shall 
you  bow?  " 

Vivace  gave  such  a  leap  that  his  leash,  which  I'd 
been  holding  carelessly,  was  jerked  out  of  my  hand.  It 
was  my  brown  man  who  was  coming — Jim  Brett. 

My  face  did  feel  red!  Vivace  was  making  such  a  fuss 
over  him,  that  Sally  could  hardly  help  guessing  whose  the 
dog  had  been  before  he  was  mine.  But  I  made  the  best 
of  it.  "  Of  course  I  recognise  him,  and  of  course  I  shall 
bow,"  said  I.  "  He  was  very  kind  to  me  on  the  dock, 
when  I  was  at  letter  B." 

Sally  didn't  make  any  remark  about  Vivace's  capers, 
though  by  this  time  he  was  wagging  all  over  with  joy  at 
his  master's  feet,  and  jumping  up  to  his  knees.  I  was 
grateful  to  her. 

In  another  moment  we  three  had  met,  in  the  shady  path, 
far  away  from  everybody  else,  and  Vivace  began  running 
back  and  forth  between  his  master  and  me,  as  if  he 
wanted  to  make  us  good  friends,  and  not  hurt  either  of 
our  feelings. 

"How   do  you   do?"   said   I,  holding   out   my   hand, 


ABOUT    THE    PARK  127 

"  What  a  coincidence,  meeting  you  here.  And  my  dear 
little  dog  that  somebody  sent  me,  does  seem  to  take  an 
extraordinary  fancy  to  you,  doesn't  he?" 

Mr.  Jim  Brett  laughed,  and  kept  his  hat  off,  which 
made  him  look  very  nice  with  the  dappling  green  and 
gold  light  waving  over  his  thick,  short  black  hair,  and 
his  forehead,  which  is  whiter  than  the  rest  of  his  face. 

He  had  on  better  clothes  than  he  had  worn  on  ship 
board,  but  they  were  blue  serge,  with  the  air  of  having 
been  bought  ready  made  at  a  cheap  shop.  In  spite  of 
them,  however,  he  looked  very  handsome,  and  every  inch 
of  him  a  gentleman.  I  don't  think  many  men,  even  in 
Stan's  set,  could  wear  those  badly-cut  things  and  look 
as  he  did  in  them,  though  he  does  have  to  travel  in  the 
steerage. 

I  asked  Sally  if  I  might  introduce  Mr.  Brett  to  her, 
and  she  said  yes,  and  smiled  up  so  sweetly  that  I  was 
delighted,  because,  for  all  her  talk  about  Nature's  noble 
men,  I  felt  I  didn't  know  her  well  enough  to  be  quite 
sure  how  she  would  take  it.  But  she  talked  to  him 
charmingly,  and  complimented  him  upon  his  bravery  on 
shipboard.  "  Every  one  of  us  admired  you  for  it,"  she 
said,  "  and  I'm  very  glad  to  meet  you  this  morning." 

Mr.  Brett  thanked  her,  and  of  course  said  how  pleased 
he  was,  too.  "  I  am  taking  a  holiday,"  he  added,  looking 
at  me.  I  was  glad  to  hear  that,  because,  seeing  him  out 
at  this  time,  the  thought  had  occurred  to  me  that  he 
might  have  lost  his  employment  at  the  club.  But  I  only 
answered  that  it  was  a  lovely  day  for  a  holiday,  and  that 
I  didn't  believe  he  could  find  a  better  place  to  spend  part 
of  it  than  in  Central  Park. 

"  Have  you  fed  the  squirrels  yet  ?  "  he  asked. 

"Oh,  no,  can  one  do  that?"  I  exclaimed.  "I  should 
love  it," 


128    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  May  I  go  and  get  some  peanuts  ?  "  he  said  to  Sally. 

"  Do,"  she  said,  in  her  pleasant,  friendly  way,  which 
was  just  as  nice  for  him  as  it  had  been  for  Stan,  or  nicer. 
"  We  will  go  on  to  the  wistaria  arbour  and  wait  for  you. 
There  are  always  lots  of  squirrels  there." 

Vivace  broke  away  from  me  again  and  followed  him, 
but  still  Sally  seemed  to  take  no  notice.  "  That's  cer 
tainly  a  very  handsome  fellow,"  she  said,  "  and  we  can 
be  sure  that  he's  worthy  to  be  trusted,  because  the  wrong 
sort  of  men  don't  jump  overboard  at  sea  to  save  the  lives 
of  children  they  don't  know.  That  is  why  I  feel  perfectly 
safe  in  being  nice  to  him,  and  letting  you  be  nice.  I 
reckon  he  is  a  Southern  man." 

"  How  can  you  tell?  "  I  asked. 

"  Oh,  a  little  by  that  good-looking  brown  face  of  his, 
perhaps,  but  more  by  his  way  of  speaking.  You  English 
people  lump  us  all  together,  for  our  '  American  accent,' 
but  we  can  tell  whether  a  person  is  from  Massachusetts, 
or  New  York,  or  Illinois,  or  Kentucky,  and  so  on,  just  as 
you  know  Devonshire  from  Lancashire." 

The  wistaria  arbour,  which  we  soon  reached,  was  like 
a  fairy  bower  hung  with  thousands  of  amethyst  lamps, 
burning  perfume  instead  of  oil;  and  the  moment  we  sat 
down  a  troop  of  the  fairy  residents,  cleverly  disguised 
as  grey  squirrels,  with  adorable  little  faces,  began  ex 
citedly  to  talk  us  over.  With  heads  on  one  side,  they  criti 
cised  our  features,  our  dresses,  our  hats,  and  finally 
approved  of  them  so  far  as  to  decide  that  we  were  crea 
tures  they  might  know.  They  stole  nearer,  by  twos,  by 
fours,  then  raced  away  again,  grey  and  soft  as  undyed 
ostrich  feathers,  blown  by  the  sweet-smelling  breeze,  when 
they  saw  my  brown  man  coming  back  with  Vivace. 

I  was  afraid  that  Vivace  would  make  a  dash  and 
frighten  them?  but  he  evidently  knows  how  to  treat  squir- 


ABOUT    THE    PARK  129 

rels  as  equals,  not  as  edibles,  for  he  behaved  himself  like 
the  little  brindled  gentleman  that  he  is.  Gravely  he 
looked  on  as  Mr.  Brett  produced  six  small,  brown  paper 
bags,  crammed  full  of  the  most  extraordinary  objects. 
They  looked  something  like  wood  carvings  of  unripe  bean 
pods,  but  it  appeared  that  they  were  peanuts.  They  smelt 
good,  rather  like  freshly-roasted  coffee,  and  when  you 
shelled  them  out  of  their  woody  pods,  they  were  large, 
fat  beads,  covered  with  a  thin  brown  skin.  I  couldn't 
help  feeling  as  if  I  had  known  Mr.  Brett  for  a  long  time, 
as  he  sat  by  us  on  the  bench  under  the  wistaria,  helping 
Sally  and  me  feed  the  squirrels,  and  shelling  peanuts  for 
us  to  eat,  too.  I  do  believe  there  must  be  something 
special  about  peanuts,  which  gives  you  a  homey  sort  of 
feeling,  if  you  share  them  with  people.  They  form  a  sort 
of  bond  of  good  fellowship,  and  I  can't  fancy  ever  be 
ing  prim  with  a  man,  after  you  had  eaten  peanuts  with 
him. 

Mr.  Brett  didn't  tell  us  much  about  himself,  but  from 
the  few  things  he  did  tell,  I  gathered  the  impression 
that  he  has  led  an  open-air,  adventurous  sort  of  life.  He 
showed  that  he  knows  a  great  deal  about  horses,  and  I 
rather  hope  he  has  been  a  cowboy,  like  "  The  Virginian," 
in  a  delightful  book  I  have  found  in  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's 
library;  indeed,  I  imagine  the  hero  of  that  story  must 
have  looked  like  Jim  Brett.  It  is  a  splendid  type. 

Sally  and  he  talked  about  books ;  he  spoke  about  some 
college  in  the  West  where  he  had  been,  and  I  was  glad 
that  he  was  a  University  man ;  though  why  I  should  care 
I  don't  know.  Anyway,  Stan  would  be  at  sea,  and  floun 
dering,  in  the  subjects  which  my  brown  man  of  the 
steerage  and  Sally  Woodburn  discussed  while  the  squir 
rels  frisked  about  their  shoulders.  But  then,  Stan 
doesn't  care  to  talk  for  too  long  about  anything  except 


130    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

hunting,  or  shooting,  or  polo,  or  motoring; — not  even 
bridge,  at  which  Vic  says  he  loses  a  great  deal  of  money. 

We  stopped  in  the  wistaria  arbour  for  more  than  an 
hour,  as  I  knew  by  my  bracelet  watch,  when  Sally  said 
suddenly  we  must  go — though  I  hadn't  dreamed  till  then 
that  we  had  been  half  as  long.  I  shook  hands  with  Mr. 
Brett  for  good-bye,  and  so  did  Sally;  but  nobody  spoke 
about  our  meeting  again,  as  perhaps  we  should  if  he  were 
in  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  set.  It  seemed  very  sad,  and  irrevo 
cable,  somehow,  and  I  had  a  heavy  sort  of  feeling  that  life 
can  be  full  of  hard  things. 

His  eyes  looked  wistful,  and  I  said  what  I  couldn't 
have  said  to  a  man  of  my  own  rank.  "  I've  kept  those 
roses  you  sent  me  by  that  dear,  funny  little  black  boy,  all 
this  time  in  water,  and  they  are  fresh  still,  though  a  lot 
of  others  I  have  had  since  are  faded,"  I  told  him ;  and  in 
that  mood  I  didn't  care  whether  Sally  heard  or  not. 

The  brown  man's  face  flushed  up,  and  the  wistful  look 
in  his  eyes  brightened  into  something  which  I  felt  was 
gratitude  for  my  rather  silly  speech.  "  I  think  those 
roses  will  hate  to  die,"  he  said. 

"  Perhaps  I  shall  press  them  in  a  book,"  I  answered, 
"  to  remind  me  of  my  first  hours  in  America." 

Then  we  parted,  and  there  was  a  fuss  with  Vivace,  who 
had  to  be  taken  up  in  my  arms,  or  he  would  have  choked 
himself  with  his  collar,  in  his  desperate  struggles  to  get 
free.  He  whimpered  even  then  for  a  few  minutes,  but  soon 
he  was  comforted,  and  visibly  made  an  effort  to  content 
himself  with  the  fact  that  he  was  my  dog. 

I  set  him  down  on  the  ground,  and  Sally  and  I  walked 
on  together  without  speaking.  But  at  last  she  said, 
"  Penny  for  your  thoughts,  deah?  " 

"  I  was  wondering  about — class  distinctions  in  Amer 
ica?  "  I  answered.  "  I  think — oh,  I  do  think  it's  very 


ABOUT    THE    PARK  131 

silly  of  you  to  have  any  at  all.  I  always  supposed,  till 
I  knew  you  and  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox,  that  one  person 
was  considered  just  as  good  as  another  in  America.  And 
it  ought  to  be  like  that,  in  a  new  country,  where  you 
haven't  an  aristocracy." 

"  We  have  two  aristocracies,"  said  she.  "  We  go  one 
better  than  you,  for  you  have  only  one.  We  have  our 
Old  Families  (maybe  they  wouldn't  seem  very  old  to  you) 
and  we  have  Wealth.  They  both  think  as  much  of  them 
selves  as  your  aristocracy  does — and  mighty  little  of  each 
other." 

"  I  could  understand  an  aristocracy  of  brains,  in  a 
land  like  America,"  I  went  on,  quite  fiercely,  "  but  it's  no 
good  breaking  off  from  the  old  country  at  all  if  you're 
to  hamper  yourselves  with  anything  else.  Now  if  I 
hadn't  heard  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  and  Mrs.  Van  der 
Windt  talking,  I  should  have  supposed  that  in  America  a 
man  like  Mr.  Brett,  for  instance,  could  be  received  any 
where.  As  it  is,  I  suppose — no,  nobody  could  despise  him. 
For  myself,  I'm  proud  to  know  such  a  brave  man.  But — 
but  of  course  we're  not  likely  to  meet  him  again,  are  we?  " 

"  In  Society?  "  laughed  Sally.  "  Poor  fellow,  it  doesn't 
look  much  like  it  now,  does  it?  Though  I  believe 
he's  a  man  in  a  thousand,  and  worth  six  of  any  of  those 
that  Cousin  Katherine  will  let  you  know — counting  Pot 
ter,  though  he  is  my  relative." 

"  It  seems  a  pity,"  I  said,  with  a  sigh  for  the  mistakes 
of  the  whole  world — or  something. 

"What's  a  pity?" 

"  Oh,  I  hardly  know.     Everything.     Isn't  it?  " 

"  Yes.  And  I'm  sure  that's  what  our  poor,  handsome 
friend  is  thinking." 

"Do  you  suppose  he — minds?" 

"  I  reckon  he  would  like  to  go  on  being  acquainted  with 


132    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

you,  Betty,  and  have  the  chances  of  other  men.  You're 
not  an  unattractive  girl,  you  know — or  maybe  you  don't 
know.  And  he's  human.  I  have  a  sort  of  idea  he'll  try 
and  make  some  change  in  his  way  of  life,  so  that  it  may 
be  possible  to  meet  you  again." 

When  Sally  said  this,  I  had  the  oddest  sensation,  like  a 
prickling  in  all  my  veins.  I  longed  to  ask  her  if  she 
were  joking,  or  if  she  really  did  think  that  Jim  Brett 
was  enough  interested  in  me  to  take  so  much  trouble. 
But  the  words  came  only  as  far  as  the  tip  of  my  tongue, 
and  stuck  to  it  as  if  they  had  been  glued  there. 


VII 

ABOUT    SKY-SCRAPERS    AND    BEAUTIFUL 
LADIES 

IN  the  afternoon  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  I  in  our  thinnest 
muslins  went  out  in  the  motor.  We  whizzed  up 
Fifth  Avenue  for  several  "  blocks  "  (as  she  called 
them),  turned  into  an  expensive-looking  side  street 
and  stopped  before  one  of  the  most  enormous  buildings  I 
ever  saw  in  my  life.  It  seemed  only  half  finished,  for  the 
steel  columns  of  its  skeleton  were  still  visible  around  the 
ground  floor  and  the  street  before  it  was  still  cluttered  with 
bricks  and  boards  and  rubbish.  In  the  hallway  men  were 
working  like  active  animals  in  an  immense  cage.  Suddenly 
from  amongst  them  I  saw  emerge  a  beautifully  dressed  lit 
tle  girl  foaming  with  lace  frills,  led  by  a  trained  nurse  in  a 
grey  and  white  uniform.  They  were  actually  being  let 
out  of  the  lift,  which  had  swooped  down  with  appalling 
swiftness,  by  a  man  in  livery. 

"  Good  Heavens,"  I  exclaimed,  "  what  a  queer  place 
for  a  child  and  its  nurse  to  be  in." 

"  My  dear  girl,  they  live  there,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay 
rather  scornfully.  "  That  is  Mrs.  Harvey  Richmount 
Taylour's  little  Rosemary  with  her  nurse." 

"  People  live  on  top  of  those  poles  like  Jack  in  a  bean 
stalk  !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  How  appalling." 

As  I  looked  through  the  hallway  up  sprang  the  lift  once 
more,  fierce  and  swift  as  one  of  the  rockets  which  I  used 
as  a  child  to  be  afraid  might  strike  the  angels.  A  minute 
of  suspense  and  it  swooped  down  again  with  two  girls  in 

133 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

it.  I  felt  as  if  it  were  a  thing  I  oughtn't  to  be  seeing 
somehow ;  it  was  so  much  like  spying  on  the  digestive  ap 
paratus  of  a  skeleton. 

"  You  see,"  explained  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  "  the  Tay lours 
and  other  people  were  frightfully  anxious  to  get  in.  The 
rest  of  the  building  will  be  finished  soon,  and  this  is  going 
to  be  one  of  the  swellest  apartment  houses  in  New  York." 
"  This  an  apartment  house !  "  cried  I,  thinking  of  the 
dull  streets  in  London,  where  almost  every  door  has 
"  Apartments "  printed  over  it  in  gilt  letters,  or  else 
hanging  crooked  and  dejected  on  a  card.  "  But,  oh — 
perhaps  you  mean  it's  flats." 

"  For  goodness  sake,  don't  say  *  flats '  to  Margaret 
Taylour,"  exclaimed  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  marshalling  me  into 
the  mammoth  skeleton.  "  Over  here,  only  common  people 
live  in  flats ;  our  sort  have  '  apartments.'  " 

"  It's  just  the  other  way  round  with  us,"  I  explained. 
"  Those  who  have  flats  would  be  furious  if  you  said  they 
lived  in  apartments." 

"  You  English  are  so  quaint  in  some  ways,"  remarked 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  and  though  I  didn't  answer,  I  was  sur 
prised.  It's  all  well  enough  for  us  to  think  Americans 
odd,  and  we  are  accustomed  to  that,  for  everybody  says 
they  are ;  but  that  they  should  think  our  ways  comic  does 
seem  extraordinary,  almost  improper. 

By  this  time  we  were  in  the  lift,  which  shut  upon  us 
with  a  vicious  snap,  and  then  tossed  us  up  towards  the 
roof  of  the  world.  I  do  hope  one  doesn't  experience  the 
same  sensation  in  dying;  though  in  that  case  it  would  be 
worse  going  down  than  up. 

Before  I  had  time  to  do  more  than  gasp,  we  were  at  the 
top ;  and  as  we  waited  for  an  instant  outside  Mrs.  Harvey 
Richmount  Taylour's  door,  I  should  have  liked  to  pinch 
my  cheeks  lest  my  fright  had  left  me  pale. 


ABOUT    SKY-SCRAPERS  135 

Vic  has  a  friend  who  lives  in  a  flat  near  the  Park  for 
the  Season,  and  once  I  was  taken  there.  I  thought  it 
quite  beautiful,  but  though  the  friend's  a  Countess  and 
very  rich,  the  flat  is  poor  compared  with  this  topheavy  nest 
of  Mrs.  Taylour's. 

In  a  white  drawing-room  where  the  only  spots  of  colour 
were  the  roses — masses  of  pink  roses  in  gold  bowls— a  Ma 
donna-like  being  was  reclining  in  a  green  and  white  billow 
of  a  lace  tea  gown,  on  a  white  sofa.  She  held  out  both 
hands  to  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  and  looked  at  me,  apologising  for 
not  getting  up. 

When  you  come  to  examine  her,  the  only  thing  really 
Madonna-like  about  Mrs.  Harvey  Richmount  Taylour  is 
her  way  of  doing  her  hair.  It's  parted  in  the  middle,  and 
folds  softly  down  in  brown  wings  on  either  side  of  rather 
a  high  forehead,  white  enough  to  match  her  drawing- 
room.  She  has  gently  curved  eyebrows,  too;  but  under 
them  her  dark  eyes  are  as  bright  and  sharp  as  a  fox- 
terrier's.  She  has  pale  skin,  red  lips,  and  thin  features, 
with  a  stick-out  chin,  cut  on  the  same  pattern  as  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay's  though  it  isn't  as  square  yet,  because  she  is 
years  younger — perhaps  not  more  than  twenty-eight. 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay  introduced  us,  in  a  more  precise  way  than 
we  have  at  home,  and  Mrs.  Taylour  said  that  she  was 
very  happy  to  meet  me,  which  I  should  have  thought 
particularly  kind,  if  I  hadn't  found  out  that  it's  a  sort  of 
formula  which  Americans  think  it  polite  to  use. 

She  talked  to  me  a  good  deal,  and  wanted  to  know  how 
I  liked  America,  of  course;  I  was  sure  she  would  do  that. 

Then  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  explained  that  I  was  interested  in 
her  apartment  being  up  so  high,  and  thought  her  plucky 
to  live  in  it  before  the  house  was  finished.  This  amused 
Mrs.  Taylour  very  much. 

"  We  are  just  thankful  to  be  in  it,"  she  said.     "  I  was 


136    LADY    BETTY   ACROSS    THE    WATER 

tired  out  with  housekeeping,  the  servant  question  is  too 
awful." 

"  I  see  you've  a  trained  nurse-maid  for  Rosemary,"  said 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay.  "  We  met  them  going  out." 

"  Isn't  Rosemary  a  pet  ?  "  Mrs.  Taylour  asked  me,  as 
if  she  were  speaking  of  somebody  else's  little  girl. 

"  Sweet,"  I  said.     "  Has  she  been  ill?  " 

"  No.     Do  you  think  she  looks  delicate  ?  " 

"  It  was  the  hospital  nurse "  I  began ;  but  Mrs. 

Taylour  laughed. 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  that  would  strike  you  as  funny.  But 
we  often  have  them  for  our  children.  We  poor  New  York 
women  have  so  much  to  do  socially,  we  have  to  be  relieved 
of  all  feeling  of  responsibility,  if  we  don't  want  to  come 
down  with  nervous  prostration.  I  shall  hang  onto  this 
same  nurse  for  years  if  she'll  stay ;  she's  so  good,  and  only 
ten  dollars  a  week.  When  Rosemary  grows  up  and  comes 
out,  she  will  be  her  maid,  you  know,  Lady  Betty.  Do  you 
ever  have  trained  nurse-maids  in  England?  " 

"No,"  I  said.     "Fancy!" 

"  Oh,  it's  a  splendid  thing  for  a  girl — nothing  like  it. 
You  see  the  woman  looks  after  her  like  a  maid  and  a  nurse 
both;  makes  sure  her  bath's  the  right  temperature,  takes 
care  of  her  if  she  gets  the  grippe;  sits  up  and  gives  her 
beef  tea  or  chocolate  after  balls,  massages  her,  and  things 
like  that.  I  used  to  have  one  myself,  but  a  woman  after 
she's  married  is  different  from  a  Bud.  She  must  have 
a  French  woman  for  her  hair  if  she  respects  herself." 

I  said  meekly  that  I  supposed  so ;  and  then  Mrs.  Taylour 
left  me  to  myself  for  a  few  minutes,  while  she  talked  to 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay.  They  compared  notes  about  appendicitis, 
which  they  called  the  fashionable  complaint,  and  Mrs. 
Taylour  suddenly  exclaimed: 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  I  have  had  just  the  smartest  idea.     As 


ABOUT    SKY-SCRAPERS  137 

soon  as  Doctor  Pearson  will  let  me  go  to  Blue  Bay  I  tell 
you  I  mean  to  wake  them  up  there.  What  I'll  do,  is  to 
have  an  appendicitis  lunch.  It'll  be  rather  conducive, 
won't  it?" 

"  You  are  the  most  original  thing ! "  exclaimed  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay.  "  How  are  you.  going  to  manage  ?  " 

"  Oh,  nobody  shall  be  invited  except  those  who  have  had 
it ;  and  the  great  feature  will  be  the  decorations  ;  operating 
instruments,  you  know,  and  hospital  nurses,  and — oh,  I 
don't  know  what  all  yet,  but  I'm  thinking  it  out.  It  was 
Cora  Pitchley's  Cat  Lunch  that  put  it  in  my  head."  She 
turned  to  me.  "  In  America  we  give  Women's  lunches," 
she  said.  "  Only  women  are  asked,  or  a  Cat  Lunch 
couldn't  be  worked.  Is  it  so  with  you,  too?  " 

"  I'm  afraid  our  women  would  think  it  a  bore  if  there 
were  no  men,"  I  answered.  "  Anyway,  there  always  are 
some,  I  believe.  I'm  not  out  yet.  Do  tell  about  the  Cat 
Lunch." 

"  Oh,  it  was  only  a  pretty  smart  trick  of  my  friend, 
Mrs.  Pitchley's.  She  was  a  rich  young  widow  from  the 
West,  with  millions,  and  very  pretty  and  lively,  so  some  of 
the  old  cats  snubbed  her  and  tried  to  keep  her  out  of  New 
York  society,  when  I  was  introducing  her  around.  But 
she  got  her  foot  in  at  last,  so  tight  they  couldn't  help 
themselves,  for  the  Van  Tortens  took  her  up,  and  she  was 
made.  So  what  did  she  do  but  give  a  big  lunch,  inviting 
all  the  women  who  had  been  the  meanest  to  her,  and  not 
another  soul.  The  whole  table  decoration  consisted  of 
cats ;  vases  made  of  cats ;  flower-arrangements  shaped  like 
cats;  and  a  little  gold  cat  with  emerald  eyes  for  each 
woman  to  take  away  with  her,  so  she  wouldn't  forget  the 
lunch  in  a  hurry.  And  would  you  believe  it,  not  one  of 
them  saw  the  joke  till  Smart  Sayings  got  hold  of  it, 
and  published  an  account  of  the  function  next  week." 


138    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  What  did  the  women  do?  "  I  asked. 

"  Nothing,  but  feel  cattier  than  before.  She's  richer 
than  ever  now,  for  she's  married  a  man  worth  twenty  mil 
lions,  and  the  first  thing  he  did  was  to  give  orders  to 
Celeste,  her  dressmaker,  to  turn  out  two  new  dresses  for 
his  wife,  every  week  of  the  year  without  fail,  not  one  of 
them  to  cost  less  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars.  It 
was  such  a  strain  on  Celeste,  thinking  of  new  ideas,  that 
she  had  to  give  it  up  after  the  first  year,  though  it  nearly 
broke  her  heart." 

"  I  should  have  thought  it  would  be  a  strain  having  the 
dresses  to  wear,"  said  I.  "  Fancy  getting  passionately 
attached  to  one  frock,  but  never  being  able  to  wear  it 
more  than  once  or  twice,  on  account  of  your  duty  to  the 
new  ones  always  coming  towards  you  in  a  long,  relentless 
procession,  down  the  years.  I  should  hate  it." 

"  I  wouldn't,"  said  Mrs.  Taylour.  "  I  can't  have  too 
many  new  things,  and  I  always  change  each  scrap  of  fur 
niture  and  decoration  in  my  own  rooms  every  year,  so  that 
Mr.  Taylour  won't  get  tired  of  them.  He's  such  a  nervous 
man.  But  you'll  meet  Cora  Pitchley  at  Newport.  Her 
house  is  there.  She's  a  type  of  an  American  woman,  just 
as  bright  as  she  can  be.  Her  second  husband  was  a  whole 
sale  dry  goods  man  years  ago,  but  most  people  have  for 
gotten  that,  now  he's  worth  his  millions,  and  he's  got  the 
most  gorgeous  place,  quite  like  one  of  your  old  castles. 
The  worst  of  it  is,  his  mother  lives  with  them,  and  when 
she  was  showing  the  bride — Cora — over  the  house  (which 
was  decorated  pretty  weirdly  for  the  first  wife,)  the  old 
lady  kept  explaining :  *  This  is  the  Louise  Seize  room ; 
this  is  the  Queen  Anne  room.'  Cora  just  looked  at  the 
things,  and  said:  'What  makes  you  think  so?'  Smart, 
wasn't  it?  But  Cora's  changed  everything  inside  the 
house  now.  She  loves  change.  She's  even  changed  her 


ABOUT    SKY-SCRAPERS  139 

birthday,  so  as  to  have  it  in  leap  year;  and  as  for  her 
mind,  she  changes  it  entirely  at  least  six  times  a  day ;  says 
that's  why  women  have  nicer  minds  than  men ;  they  change 
them  oftener.  But  I've  gossiped  enough  about  a  person 
you  don't  know,  Lady  Betty.  Let's  talk  about  England. 
I  run  over  to  Paris  for  a  month  or  two  most  years,  but  I've 
only  been  twice  to  England.  I  did  all  the  sights,  though, 
didn't  miss  anything.  I  gave  four  da3^s  to  London  alone. 
Candidly,  I  don't  think  your  women  dress  nearly  as  well  as 
we  do,  or  hold  themselves  as  well,  but  perhaps  you're  more 
feminine  looking,  take  you  all  in  all.  I  don't  mean  any 
thing  personal,  of  course.  But  I  do  think  your  men  are 
lovely.  I  met  a  perfectly  charming  Member  of  Par 
liament,  and  he  invited  me  to  tea  on  the  terrace. 
Such  strawberries  and  cream.  But  Pm  afraid  I  hurt  his 
feelings.  I  said  I  couldn't  help  thinking  *  House  of  Com 
mons  '  a  most  insulting  name,  and  if  we  called  our  Senate 
anything  like  that  we  couldn't  get  an  American  man  who 
respected  himself  to  go  into  it.  But  English  people  are 
so  queer.  They  don't  seem  to  mind  admitting  that  there 
is  a  class  above  theirs." 

"  Betty  doesn't  need  to  know  anything  about  that,"  said 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay.  "  She  is  on  the  highest  pinnacle." 

"  Oh,  dear  no,"  said  I.     "  There  are  the  Royalties." 

"  Don't  you  think  you  are  just  as  good?  "  asked  Mrs. 
Taylour. 

"  I  never  thought  about  it  in  that  way,"  I  answered, 
stupidly.  For  of  course  I  hadn't. 

"  Surely  you  don't  bob  to  them?  " 

"  Indeed  we  do,"  I  protested. 

"Well  then,  I  wouldn't"  said  Mrs.  Taylour,  firmly. 
"  I'd  have  my  head  cut  off  first,  especially  before  I'd 
curtsey  to  a  Man." 

Quite  a  colour  flew  into  her  face  as  she  asserted  her  in- 


140    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

(dependence,  and  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  must  have  seen  that  the  in 
valid  was  getting  excited,  for  she  rose  quickly  to  go. 

"  Come,  Betty,"  said  she,  and  I  came. 

The  lift  plunged  us  down  through  the  inner  workings 
of  the  skeleton.  I  had  the  sensation  that  it  was  dropping 
away  from  under  my  feet,  and  that  as  I  dangled  above  it 
like  a  wobbly  little  balloon  my  head  had  been  left  behind 
somewhere  near  the  top.  But  I  didn't  leave  my  heart 
behind  in  Mrs.  Taylour's  flat. 


VIII 
ABOUT    NEWPORT   AND    GORGEOUSNESS 

I  WAS  anxious  to  travel  in  an  American  train,  so 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay  said  we  might  go  by  rail  to  Newport, 
instead  of  by  boat  as  she  had  intended. 

I  know  it  was  very  wrong  in  principle,  but  when  we 
got  to  the  Grand  Central  Station,  (or  Depot,  as  perhaps 
I  ought  to  call  it,)  I  did  wish  that  slavery  existed  again, 
so  that  I  could  have  bought  two  or  three  of  those  delight 
ful  cafe-au-lait-coloured  porters  in  grey  livery  and  red 
caps.  There  were  several  I  would  have  given  anything 
to  have  to  take  home  with  me,  and  make  pets  of;  but  I 
suppose  even  if  they  had  been  for  sale,  they  would  have 
come  too  expensive  and  I  should  have  had  to  give  them 
up ;  for  their  eyes  alone,  to  say  nothing  of  their  pleasant 
white  grins,  would  have  been  worth  pounds  and  pounds. 
As  for  their  voices,  they  were  the  sweetest  I'd  heard  in 
America,  soft,  and  a  little  throaty,  with  a  peculiar  quality, 
quite  different  from  the  voice  of  a  person  who  hasn't 
been  dipped  in  cafe  au  lait.  With  their  vivid  red  caps, 
their  brilliant  eyes,  and  their  lightning-flash  smiles,  they 
looked  to  me  more  like  great  wonderful,  tropical  birds 
than  human  beings,  and  they  seemed  so  honey-luscious 
in  their  good  nature  that  I'm  sure  all  the  things  that 
serious  and  learned  people  say  in  England  about  the 
"  dangers  of  the  increasing  coloured  population  in  Amer 
ica  "  must  be  nonsense.  Serious  and  learned  people  do 
make  such  mistakes,  through  never  seeing  the  fun  in 
anything ;  and  every  few  years  they  find  out  that  they  have 

141 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

been  quite  wrong  in  what  they  have  taught  with  so  much 
trouble,  about  comets  and  microbes  and  men,  and  other  pro 
gressive  things. 

We  had  a  number  of  these  tropical  birds  that  have  been 
tamed  to  serve  the  railway,  to  help  us  with  our  bags  and 
things  getting  into  the  train,  although  there  were  Louise 
and  a  couple  of  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  footmen  as  well.  I  looked 
at  their  brown  hands,  and  they  were  quite  pink  inside,  as 
pink  as  mine.  I  don't  know  why  this  gave  me  a  shock,  but 
it  did.  Perhaps  one  had  the  feeling  that  the  nice  crea 
tures  were  only  painted  to  play  their  parts,  or  that  their 
white  souls — just  like  ours — were  striking  through  their 
skins. 

It  was  a  beautiful  train.  Even  the  engine  was  different 
from  our  kind,  much  fiercer,  and  reared  its  head  higher, 
like  a  wild  stag  compared  to  a  stout  but  reliable  ox.  Our 
carriage  had  no  compartments  in  it,  but  was  just  one  long 
wide,  moving  corridor,  all  plate  glass  windows  and  mir 
rors,  and  painted  panels,  and  velvet  arm  chairs  dotted 
about,  rather  like  a  hotel  drawing-room  on  wheels. 

There  were  a  good  many  people  in  it  when  we  got  in, 
which  annoyed  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  so  much  that  she  wished  she 
had  borrowed  a  private  car  from  a  friend  who  would  have 
loved  lending  it.  But  I  was  glad  she  hadn't,  for  the  people 
were  part  of  the  fun.  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  was  sure  they  were 
nobodies,  because  she  didn't  happen  to  know  any  of  their 
faces ;  but  perhaps  they  were  thinking  the  same  thing  about 
her. 

Anyway,  they  were  mostly  women  and  all  pretty  and 
perfectly  dressed,  as  even  quite  common  people  appear  to 
be  in  America.  I  haven't  caught  sight  of  a  dowdy  woman 
since  I  came.  None  of  their  frocks  hitch  up  in  front  and 
dip  down  behind,  as  you  see  people's  doing  if  you  are  taken 
to  a  shop  in  Oxford  Street  or  even  sometimes  in  Bond 


ABOUT    NEWPORT  143 

Street;  and  their  belts  always  point  beautifully  down  at 
the  waist,  although  it  isn't  the  Season 'in  New  York. 

The  train  was  a  fast  one,  and  simply  hurled  itself  and 
us  through  space,  as  if  we  had  got  onto  the  tail  of  a  comet 
by  mistake ;  but  it  hardly  waggled  at  all,  so  that  we  could 
have  studied  the  scenery  nicely  if  we  had  been  able  to  see  it 
behind  the  advertisements. 

Passing  the  outskirts  of  New  York,  it  seemed  as  if  every 
villa,  even  the  quite  smart  ones,  did  their  own  washing. 
The  gardens — which  Sally  told  me  to  call  back  yards — 
were  just  as  full  of  clean  clothes  as  the  meadows  were  of 
advertisement  hoardings,  and  I  rather  wondered  why  some 
enterprising  agents  didn't  go  round  and  offer  the  people 
big  prices  for  painting  Uneeda  Biscuit  on  their  petticoats 
and  shirts. 

We  tore  through  such  charming  places  with  fascinating 
houses  built  of  wood,  among  parks  of  feathery  green  trees, 
that  I  was  sure  Newport  could  be  no  prettier;  but  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay  spoiled  the  most  picturesque  one  for  me  by  saying 
that  it  was  practically  settled  by  retired  butchers  and 
tailors.  According  to  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  her  brother,  all 
you  have  to  do  to  be  sure  of  being  rich  in  America,  is  to 
decide  to  be  either  a  tailor  or  a  butcher,  so  it  seems  quite 
simple,  and  I'm  surprised  that  everybody  doesn't  do  it. 
Only  if  you  do,  it  appears  there  is  no  use  in  your  going 
to  Newport  until  you've  lived  it  down;  which,  of  course, 
must  be  a  drawback. 

Just  as  I  had  got  rather  giddy  from  looking  out  of  the 
window,  a  boy  (exactly  like  the  boys  in  melodrama  who  be 
gin  by  selling  papers  and  end  by  saving  the  heroine  from 
the  villain)  came  into  the  car,  piled  up  to  his  head  with 
novels  and  magazines.  He  scattered  a  lot  over  us,  like 
manna,  without  asking  us  to  pay,  but  just  as  I  had  got 
passionately  interested  in  a  short  story  he  came  back  and 


144    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

began  to  gather  everything  up.  Seeing  that  I  clung  to 
my  lot,  Potter  bought  them  all  for  me,  before  I  could  stop 
him. 

There  were  two  books  and  four  magazines,  with  super 
latively  good-looking,  well-groomed  young  men  and 
divinely  lovely  girls  for  the  heroes  and  heroines.  The 
story  I  was  most  interested  in  had  a  hero  like  Mr.  Brett ; 
but  it  was  disappointing  in  the  end,  because  he  married  a 
short  plump  girl  with  black  eyes,  and  somehow  it  spoiled 
the  realism,  as  I  couldn't  fancy  he  would  really  have  cared 
so  dreadfully  for  a  girl  like  that.  Anyway,  it  put  me  out 
of  the  mood  for  reading  any  more  stories  and  I  began 
glancing  over  the  advertisements.  At  least,  I  glanced  at 
first,  but  soon  I  was  absorbed ;  for  they  were  wonderful. 

I  had  never  dreamed  that  there  were  such  kind,  thought 
ful  men  in  business  as  the  ones  who  advertised  in  those  fat 
American  magazines, — and  so  clever,  too;  they  seemed  to 
have  spent  their  whole  past  lives  simply  in  studying  things, 
so  that  eventually  they  could  make  you  happy  and  save 
you  trouble. 

They  lived  only  for  that,  those  incredibly  nice  men. 
There  were  photographs  of  some  of  them  with  their  adver 
tisements,  so  that  you  could  know  what  they  were  really 
like,  and  have  even  more  confidence  in  them  than  you  would 
if  you  hadn't  seen  their  style  of  features.  There  were  two 
or  three  whose  profiles  I  could  never  get  to  feel  at  home 
with,  even  if  I  had  been  born  with  one  of  them;  but  the 
majority  were  brave,  energetic, — oh!  terribly  energetic- 
looking  men,  as  indeed  they  would  need  to  be,  if  they  were 
really  to  accomplish  all  the  things  they  promised,  not  only 
for  you  but  for  the  hundreds  of  thousands  of  other  people 
who  might  be  inclined  to  put  them  to  the  test. 

There  were  things  like  this  in  the  magazines, — all  the 
magazines : 


ABOUT    NEWPORT  145 

"Listen  to  me,  Miss  (or  Madam).  I  have  something 
to  say  which  will  interest  You.  Do  you  want  a  Perfect 
Complexion?  Don't  move.  Sit  still  in  your  chair.  Cut 
out  this  Coupon.  Slip  it  into  a  stamped  envelope,  and  we 
will  give  You  what  You  want  by  return  of  post." 

"Why  Suffer?  You  have  Headache.  We  have  the 
Cure.  We  ask  nothing  better  than  to  take  away  the  One 
and  give  you  the  Other." 

"  Let  us  lend  you  a  Beautiful  Diamond  Ring  to  wear  till 
you  are  tired  of  it.  When  you  are,  we  will  take  it  back, 
and  return  you  all  but  five  per  cent,  of  your  money." 

"  Don't  come  to  Us.  Let  us  come  to  You,  and  bring 
You  Something.  You  have  always  Wanted  Health, 
Wealth,  Wisdom." 

"  We  would  like  to  give  You  some  Friendly  Advice. 
We  don't  want  a  Red  Cent  for  it." 

"  You  are  going  to  have  a  Party,  and  you  are  worried. 
Don't  worry.  Just  'phone  to  us,  and  we  will  arrange 
Everything  for  you  better  than  you  could  yourself,  with 
no  trouble  to  you  and  your  servants." 

There  were  so  many  splendid  things  to  have,  to  wear, 
and  to  eat,  advertised  in  the  same  kind,  fatherly  way,  that 
I  felt  as  if  I  had  unconsciously  yearned  for  each  one  of 
them  more  than  for  anything  else  in  my  life,  and  now  it 
had  been  put  into  my  head  in  all  its  fatal  fascination,  I 
couldn't  possible  exist  another  day  without  sending  for  it, 
to  one  in  that  procession  of  noble,  self-sacrificing,  Amer 
ican  advertisers.  I  felt,  too,  that  if  anything  disagree 
able  should  happen  to  me,  like  a  railway  or  motor  car  ac 
cident,  I  could  spend  the  rest  of  my  existence  lying  down, 
and  still  the  splendid  things  would  come  running  to  me, 
if  I  just  'phoned  or  flung  a  stamp  into  space. 

I  mentioned  something  of  the  sort  to  Sally.     "  I  wonder 


146    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

they  don't  offer  to  choose  you  a  husband,"  said  I.  "  I 
didn't  know  advertisements  could  be  so  interesting." 

"  What  about  your  own  ?  "  she  asked.  "  They're  a  hun 
dred  times  quainter." 

I  thought  hard  about  the  Morning  Post  and  The 
Queen,  but  couldn't  remember  anything  extraordinary 
in  the  advertising  line,  and  said  so. 

"  Perhaps  you,  being  English,  don't  see  anything  ex 
traordinary  about  a  clergyman's  wife  offering  to  exchange 
a  canary  bird  for  six  months'  subscription  to  Punch; 
or  the  widow  of  an  officer  earnestly  desiring  an  idiot  lady 
to  board  with  her;  or  a  decayed  gentlewoman  inviting  the 
public  to  give  her  five  pounds;  but  we,  being  American, 
do"  replied  Sally.  "  Why,  I'd  rather  read  the  advertise 
ments  in  some  of  your  morning  papers  and  ladies'  week 
lies  than  I  would  eat." 

"  Talking  of  eating,  it's  lunch-time,"  said  Potter. 
"  There'll  be  a  big  menagerie  feeding  in  the  dining-car, 
but  there's  no  good  waiting  for  it  to  finish,  as  then  there'll 
be  no  food  left." 

So  we  took  his  suggestion;  and  there  was  a  crowd,  but 
he  had  secured  a  table  for  four,  and  we  squeezed  ourselves 
into  the  places. 

I  have  travelled  abroad  with  Mother  and  Vic,  where 
there  were  Americans  in  the  dining-car,  and  they  have  been 
cross  because  they  didn't  get  served  quickly  and  they 
have  said  things.  But  in  this  car  going  to  Newport,  you 
forgot  what  you  had  had  last  before  the  next  course  came, 
yet  nobody  seemed  to  mind.  They  were  as  patient  as 
lambs,  and  simply  took  what  was  given  them  when  they 
could  get  it,  although  they  looked  as  if  they  were  used  to 
everything  very  nice  at  home.  I  suppose  it  must  have 
been  because  they  were  all  Americans  together,  eating 
American  things,  with  American  waiters  to  wait  upon  them 


ABOUT    NEWPORT  147 

and  no  foreigners  who  ought  to  know  they  wouldn't  stand 
that  sort  of  nonsense,  hanged  if  they  would. 

Some  of  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  servants  had  gone  on  before 
us,  and  some  were  in  our  train.  Exactly  how  it  was 
managed,  I  don't  know;  but  things  that  would  worry  us 
into  grey-haired  graves  don't  seem  to  bother  Americans 
at  all;  and  there  was  the  motor  waiting  when  we  arrived 
at  the  end  of  our  journey,  with  a  private  motor  omnibus 
for  the  servants  and  luggage. 

Sometimes  it  is  rather  a  pretty  sight  at  the  station  where 
you  have  to  get  out  for  Battlemead,  or  for  the  village, 
when  one  of  the  best  trains  from  Town  comes  in,  especially 
if  Mother  or  anyone  at  other  big  places  in  the  neighbour 
hood  should  be  having  a  house  party.  There  are  several 
rather  good  victorias  with  nice  sleek  horses,  a  handsome 
brougham  or  two,  a  motor  car  or  two,  to  say  nothing  of 
dog  carts  and  phaetons.  But  it  is  a  poor  show  compared 
to  the  scene  at  Newport.  I  felt  suddenly  as  if  I  were  at 
the  theatre,  and  the  curtain  had  just  gone  up  on  a  bril 
liant  new  act. 

There  was  a  crowd  of  gorgeous  carriages;  and  jet- 
black  varnish,  gold  and  silver  harness,  and  horses'  brown 
and  chestnut  backs  all  glittered  blindingly  in  the  sun. 
But  there  were  even  more  motors  than  carriages,  it  seemed ; 
or  else  they  were  more  conspicuous ;  and  many  were  being 
driven  by  beautiful  girls  in  muslins  such  as  we  would  wear 
to  a  garden  party,  with  nothing  on  their  pretty  heads  ex 
cept  their  splendid  hair,  dressed  everlastingly  in  the  same 
way. 

Now,  I  saw  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  Potter  in  their  element. 
There  was  no  suggestion  that  the  people  were  not  good 
enough  for  them,  here.  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  radiated  smiles, 
bowing  cordially  right  and  left,  sometimes  even  more  cor 
dially  than  her  friends  bowed  in  return.  Potter  was  taking 


148    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

off  his  straw  hat  and  waving  it.  There  were  evidently 
no  nobodies  here.  They  were  delighted  to  see  everybody, 
for  Everybody  was  Somebody,  and  some,  but  not  ah1,  of  the 
Everybodies  were  delighted  to  see  them.  Sally  alone  re 
mained  unmoved ;  and  I  was  glad  to  have  her  to  keep  me  in 
countenance,  in  this  new  act,  where  I  knew  none  of  the 
players  or  what  part  I  should  be  called  upon  to  take 
by  and  by. 

I  had  heard  so  much  that  was  dazzling  about  Newport, 
which  I  had  imagined  a  great  white  city  by  the  sea,  that 
the  part  I  saw  first  after  leaving  the  railway  station  was 
distinctly  a  blow.  "  This  quiet,  half -asleep  village  the 
greatest  watering  place  of  America,  perhaps  of  the 
world ! "  I  said  to  myself,  almost  scornfully ;  but  when  we 
had  bowled  into  Bellevue  Avenue,  where  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  said 
that  her  cottage  was,  I  began  to  understand. 

I  wasn't  sure  at  first  sight  what  I  did  think  of  the  great 
splendid  houses,  with  mere  pocket-handkerchief  lawns  such 
as  people  would  have  for  suburban  villas  at  home ;  but  they 
gave  me  a  tremendous  impression  of  concentrated  wealth. 
This  seemed  a  place  where  everybody  was  rich,  where  mil 
lions  were  at  a  discount,  and  I  thought — whatever  else 
I  did  think — that  it  would  be  a  place  to  stop  away  from 
unless  you  were  happy — happy  and  strong  and  gay. 

But  there  was  one  thing  I  was  very  sure  of.  The  Ave 
nue  itself  was  more  full  than  our  Park  in  the  topmost  height 
of  the  Season. 

People  don't  look  happy,  driving  in  the  Park,  not  even 
the  pretty  people.  I  have  found  that,  whenever  I  have 
been,  and  though  that  isn't  so  very  often  yet,  Vic  says  it 
is  really  and  truly  always  the  same. 

The  great  beauties  look  bored,  and  some  of  them  have 
their  faces  painted  and  the  air  of  wearing  transforma 
tions  ;  but  not  one  of  the  charming  women  driving  up  and 


ABOUT    NEWPORT  149 

down  Bellevue  Avenue  that  afternoon  looked  bored,  and 
hardly  any  were  painted.  I  never  saw  people  appear  to 
be  so  delighted  with  life,  and  so  thoroughly  alive,  as  if 
the  glorious  sea  air  were  frothing  in  their  veins,  like 
champagne. 

In  the  Park  you  don't  see  people  laughing  and  talking 
to  each  other  in  carriages.  They  simply  lean  back  on  the 
cushions  with  an  expression  that  seems  to  say,  "  This  is 
the  only  thing  I  can  think  of  to  do,  so  I'm  doing  it  just  to 
kill  time."  Probably  they  don't  really  feel  like  that,  but 
they  look  it.  And  as  for  the  people  who  sit  and  watch,  or 
stand  and  wait,  they've  usually  a  strained  expression  in 
their  eyes,  as  if  they  were  afraid  of  missing  somebody  or 
something  of  importance. 

But  here  in  Bellevue  Avenue  everybody  was  smiling  and 
chatting;  and  I  noticed  that  the  men  weren't  so  preter- 
naturally  alert  as  the  men  in  New  York.  Some  had  ac 
tually  taken  time  to  get  fat,  which,  so  far  I'd  had  reason 
to  suppose,  was  a  thing  that  never  happened  to  Amer 
ican  men. 

And  somehow  the  young  girls  had  the  air  of  being  a 
great  deal  more  important  than  we  are  at  home.  You 
could  tell  from  the  very  way  they  sat  and  held  up  their 
heads  in  the  motor  cars  and  dog  carts  and  other  things, 
that  they  thought  the  world  was  theirs,  and  they  were  the 
people  to  know  in  it.  One  was  driving  a  tandem,  and  she 
didn't  look  more  than  seventeen.  I  was  glad  when  she 
bowed  to  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  because  she  was  pretty  and  I  made 
up  my  mind  that  I  should  like  to  know  her. 

"  That's  Cora  Pitchley's  step-daughter,  Carolyn,"  said 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay.  "  Do  you  remember  Margaret  Taylour 
telling  anecdotes  of  Cora?  She  doesn't  bother  much  with 
the  girl.  People  are  talking  about  them  both  rather  a  lot 
this  year,  they  say." 


150    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  Carolyn,"  I  repeated.  "  What  a  pretty  name,  and 
how  American-sounding,  somehow.  Fancy  her  driving 
tandem,  with  only  that  tiny  groom  if  anything  should 
happen.  She  must  be  plucky.  How  old  is  she  ?  " 

"  Eighteen.     She  was  one  of  last  October's  buds." 

"  October's  buds,"  I  repeated.  "  It  sounds  poetical — 
but  unseasonable." 

Potter  answered  with  a  laugh. 

"  Yes,  we  like  things  out  of  season  in  America,  so  we 
bring  out  most  of  our  buds  in  October.  Then  they  have 
the  whole  winter  to  bloom  in,  you  know,  before  they're 
grafted  on  another  stalk." 

"  Here  comes  Cora  herself,  now,  in  Tom  Doremus's 
Electra,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay.  "  It  must  make  Mrs.  Van 
der  Windt  wild,  his  going  so  much  with  the  Pitchley  lot, 
as  she  can't  stand  them,  and  would  keep  Cora  and  Carolyn 
out  of  everything  in  Newport  if  she  could." 

I  didn't  wonder  at  Mr.  Doremus,  though,  as  I  bowed  to 
him  and  found  time  to  know  exactly  how  Mrs.  Pitchley 
looked  and  what  she  wore,  in  the  half  second  before  our 
two  motors  flashed  apart.  I  thought  her  splendidly  hand 
some,  and  I  liked  the  gleam  in  her  dark  grey  eyes,  which 
promised  fun.  But  just  then  our  chauffeur  slowed  down 
before  a  house  which  seemed  to  cover  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  of  ground. 

"  Welcome  to  my  little  cottage,  dear  Betty,"  said  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay. 

If  this  is  her  idea  of  a  cottage,  I  don't  know  what  her 
conception  of  a  castle  must  be !  And  yet,  when  you  come 
to  analyse  it,  there  really  is  something  about  the  place 
which  suggests  a  kind  of  glorified,  Titanic  cottage,  rather 
too  grand  for  a  king,  unless  he  were  a  fairy  king,  but  pos 
sibly  suited  to  an  Emperor.  But  I  do  believe  rich  Amer 
icans  think  that  what  is  good  enough  for  a  king  is  only 


ABOUT    NEWPORT  151 

just  good  enough  for  them  at  a  pinch ; — and  I've  heard 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay  call  Windsor  dreadfully  shabby. 

Her  "  cottage  "  looks  as  it  were  built  of  grey  satinwood, 
but  it  is  really  shingles;  and  shingles  can  be  the  loveliest 
material  imaginable,  it  seems,  for  the  covering  of  a  house, 
especially  with  a  foundation  of  granite  sparkling  with 
mica.  They  are  soft  and  shimmery  in  their  tints,  these 
shingles,  as  a  dove's  breast ;  some  are  dark,  some  light,  but 
all  are  feathery  in  effect;  and  altogether  The  Moorings, 
with  its  gables,  and  porches,  and  bow  windows,  and  bal 
conies  and  wide  verandahs,  gives  the  effect  of  a  huge, 
ruffly  and  motherly  grey  bird  with  her  wings  spread  wide 
to  shelter  her  birdlings. 

I  felt  quite  content  to  be  one  of  the  birdlings  as  I  went 
in.  I  am  sorry  to  say  I'm  not  a  bit  fonder  of  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay  than  I  was  in  the  ship ;  but  the  "  cottage  "  looked  so 
hospitable  and  jolly,  and  the  air  and  the  sunshine  sparkled 
so,  that  I  couldn't  help  feeling  that  it  was  pleasant  to  be 
young,  and  alive,  and  on  the  threshold  of  amusing  new  ad 
ventures.  I  was  happy,  and  I  would  have  liked  to  sing. 
I  wanted  to  be  very  good  friends  with  everybody,  includ 
ing  Potter ;  and  I  fell  in  love  with  the  house,  the  minute  I 
set  foot  on  the  front  verandah. 

The  great  gorgeous  palace  in  New  York  is  far  grander, 
of  course,  and  must  have  cost  four  or  five  times  as  much ; 
still,  only  very  rich  people  could  have  built  and  furnished 
The  Moorings,  or  afford  to  live  in  it. 

There  is  a  big  square  hall,  not  to  be  compared  to  ours 
at  Battlemead,  of  course,  though  the  Persian  rugs  and  the 
pictures  are  fine ;  but  the  staircase  is  peculiarly  charming. 
It  looks  a  staircase  made  for  sitting  out  dances  with  men 
you  like,  and  evidently  it  knows  its  value  as  a  flirting  place 
and  lives  up  to  it,  for  there  are  fat,  bright-coloured  silk 
and  satin  cushions  resting  invitingly  against  the  wall,  on 


152    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

each  one  of  the  shallow  steps.  Most  of  the  rooms  are 
enormous,  and  consist  half  of  quaint  leaded  windows, 
with  seats  underneath.  But  better  than  anything  else  is 
the  verandah,  which  runs  all  round  the  house,  and  is  not 
only  as  wide  as  a  good-sized  room,  but  is  fitted  up  like  a 
succession  of  rooms.  The  delicate  bead  curtains  that  glit 
ter  like  a  rain  of  green  and  white  and  rose-coloured  jewels 
give  you  a  feeling  of  privacy,  for  you  can  see  through  them 
without  being  seen.  The  satiny  grey  floor  is  half  covered 
with  exquisite  rugs ;  and  everywhere  there  are  Oriental 
tables  and  chairs,  and  cushiony  sofas  and  green  hammocks 
with  frilly  pink  pillows,  and  screens,  and  bowers  of  palms 
and  bright  azaleas.  I  should  like  to  live  on  that  verandah 
swinging  slowly  in  a  hammock,  and  looking  through  the 
cascade  of  glittering  beads  at  the  sea  and  sky.  I  spoke 
this  thought  out  aloud,  but  Potter  said  I  would  soon  learn 
that  there  wasn't  much  time  in  Newport  for  looking  at 
the  sea  and  sky. 

"Why,  isn't  that  partly  what  you  come  to  Newport 
for?"  I  asked. 

They  all  laughed.  "  You  just  wait  and  find  out," 
answered  Potter.  "  And  we'll  work  you  pretty  hard 
doing  it." 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  Sally  took  me  up  to  show  me  my  room 
and  theirs,  and  Potter  said  that  he  would  go  round  and 
look  in  at  the  Casino,  but  he  would  come  back  and  have  tea 
with  us,  as  soon  as  he  had  seen  "  what  there  was  doing." 

Each  bedroom  is  done  in  a  colour,  and  mine  is  the  "  white 
room."  It  was  almost  too  heavy-sweet  with  some  powerful 
flower  fragrance,  when  we  went  in.  For  an  instant  I  could 
not  think  what  it  was ;  but  in  another  moment  I  had  seen 
on  tables  and  cabinets  and  window  shelves,  great  bowls  of 
water  lilies,  rising  out  of  their  dark  leaves  like  moons  out 
of  cloud  banks. 


ABOUT    NEWPORT  153 

"  From  Potter,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay.  **  He  telegraphed 
for  them  to  be  here,  and  sent  word  to  the  servants  just  how 
he  wanted  them  arranged.  I  must  say  he  does  think  of 
rather  pretty  things  when  he  cares  to  please.  And  he 
does  care  to  please  you,  Betty.  But  you  know  that  with 
out  my  telling  you,  don't  you,  my  Lady  Witch?  " 

It  was  hard-hearted  of  me,  but  all  my  pleasure  in  the 
gleaming  white  beauties  went  out,  like  a  bursting  bubble. 
It  gets  on  my  nerves  to  be  grateful  to  Potter  three  or  four 
times  a  day! 

Nevertheless,  when  he  came  back  (which  he  did  after  we 
had  dressed,  and  were  having  tea  behind  the  rain  of  glit 
tering  glass)  I  had  to  thank  him  prettily.  He  was  pleased, 
but  was  evidently  thinking  about  something  else. 

"  I  didn't  get  to  the  Casino,  after  all,"  said  he.  "  I  met 
Mrs.  Pitchley  going  out  to  make  a  call  (she  was  on  her 
way  home,  it  seems,  when  we  met  her)  and  she  offered  to 
turn  back  if  I'd  go  with  her,  so  I  did." 

"  N9W,  see  here,  Potter  Parker,"  broke  in  Mrs.  Ess  Kay, 
"  I  don't  wish  you  to  set  up  as  another  of  Cora  Pitchley's 
champions.  It's  all  very  well  for  Margaret  Taylour  to 
be  forever  quoting  her;  and  she  is  fun,  but  she  goes 
around  being  original  in  the  wrong  way,  that  nobody  ad 
mires.  That  is,  she  does  what  she  wants  and  not  what 
other  people  want  her  to  do.  Margaret  spends  her  sum 
mers  at  Blue  Bay,  and  I  spend  mine  at  Newport,  and  I'm 
not  going  to  have  Mrs.  Van  der  Windt  down  on  me,  or  on 
my  brother,  either,  if  I  can  help  it." 

"  Thanks  for  good  advice,"  replied  Potter  airily.  "  But 
may  be,  when  you  hear  what  Mrs.  Pitchley  had  to  say  to 
me,  you'll  change  your  tune." 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay  raised  her  eyebrows,  but  her  eyes  would 
look  curious.  "  What  could  Cora  Pitchley  say  that  would 
have  any  particular  effect  on  me?  "  she  asked. 


154    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  She  knows  for  a  fact  that  she  isn't  to  be  asked  to  the 
Pink  Ball  on  the  twenty-third,  and  that  Mrs.  Van  der 
Windt  herself  scratched  your  name  off  the  list  before  she 
sailed  for  Europe." 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  face  went  a  dull,  ugly  red,  and  she 
laughed  a  loud  laugh  which  sounded  as  if  it  would  be  the 
same  colour.  "  As  for  Cora,  I  can  quite  understand ;  but 
I  don't  believe  the  woman  would  have  dared  to  try  to  ex 
clude  me,"  she  said  in  a  quivery  voice. 

"  Why  shouldn't  she  have  dared,  when  you  come  to  think 
of  it?" 

"  Well,  anyhow — she  don't  dare  now." 

"  No,  naturally,  she  won't  dare  now.  You're  as  smart 
as  they  make  'em,  Kath." 

Then,  for  some  reason,  they  both  turned  and  gazed  at 
me  with  a  "  thank-goodness-here's-a-floating-spar  "  sort  of 
look,  while  Sally  examined  the  grounds  in  her  tea-cup,  with 
that  funny  little  three-cornered  smile  of  hers. 

"  Was  that  the  thing  you  thought  would  change  me 
toward  Cora  Pitchley?  "  asked  Mrs.  Ess  Kay. 

"  Yes,  I  thought  it  would  give  you  a  sort  of  fellow 
feeling." 

"  It  doesn't,"  said  she,  shortly,  "  and  nobody  but  a  man 
could  have  thought  it  would.  It  makes  me  feel  all  the 
more  that  I  don't  want  to  be  mixed  up  with  her,  for — for 
Betty's  sake." 

Potter  whistled,  with  one  thumb  in  a  breast  pocket.  "  For 
the  che-ild's  sake,"  he  remarked  dramatically;  and  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay  looked  angry. 

"  I  shan't  invite  the  Pitchleys  to  my  big  affair,"  said 
she ;  "  the  affair  I'm  going  to  have  for  Betty." 

"  Oh,  but  you  must  please  not  put  yourself  out  for 
me !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  I  should  be  so  sorry  to  have  you  do 
that." 


ABOUT    NEWPORT  155 

Potter  laughed  "Don't  you  try  to  rob  her  of  her 
dearest  triumph,  Lady  Daisy.  You're  the  big  gem  for 
the  middle  of  the  setting.  You're  the  Kohinoor." 

"  Potter !  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself,  talking 
to  her  like  that,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay.  "  But  all  he  means, 
Betty,  is  that  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  do  anything  I  can 
to  make  your  visit  pleasant;  and  it  will  be  no  trouble  at 
all  for  me  to  give  an  entertainment,  you  may  be  quite 
sure." 

She  said  this  as  the  Queen  might  say  that  it  didn't  mat 
ter  to  her  whether  there  were  seventy-five  people  or  seventy- 
six  asked  to  a  garden  party;  and  I  realised  that  I  was 
snubbed;  so  I  said  no  more. 


IX 
ABOUT  BATHING,  A  DRESS,  AND  AN  EARL 

MRS.  ESS  KAY  had  a  headache  next  morning, 
and  stopped  in  bed.     She  couldn't  speak  or  be 
spoken  to,  and  so  we  couldn't  possibly  ask  her 
advice  about  going  to  Bailey's  Beach  for  a  dip 
in  the  sea.     Potter — whose  proposal  it  was — said  that  this 
was  perhaps  Providential,  as   she  was  almost  certain  to 
want  me  to  stay  in  till  I  could  be  taken  out  officially. 
"  But  you  don't  need  to  know  that,"  he  added. 

I  looked  at  Sally,  and  she  laughed ;  so  I  knew  that  I  was 
to  go. 

"  Oh,  but  what  about  bathing  clothes !  "  I  exclaimed,  on 
a  sudden  thought.  "  How  stupid  of  me  not  to  have  re 
membered  that  I  would  want  them,  before  I  left  home,  or 
in  New  York!" 

"  I  reckon  it  would  have  been  stupid  of  us  if  we  hadn't 
remembered,"  said  Sally.  Then  she  went  on, — irrelev 
antly,  it  seemed  at  first :  "  What  day  of  the  month  is 
to-morrow?  " 

"  The  twenty-ninth  of  July,"  said  Potter,  promptly, 
while  I  was  resigning  myself,  after  a  slight  struggle,  to 
the  fact  that  I  had  lost  track  of  dates. 

"  Seem's  to  me  that's  somebody's  birthday,  isn't  it?  " 
Sally  appeared  to  address  her  remark  to  the  ceiling. 

"  How  did  you  know  ?  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  A  little  bird  told  me ;  the  kind  that  builds  in  birthday 
books.  It  lives  on  a  table  in  Lady  Victoria's  '  den '." 

156 


ABOUT    BATHING  157 

"  Fancy  your  keeping  the  date  in  your  head  all  this 
time!" 

"  I've  a  weakness  for  remembering  birthdays — when 
I'm  fond  of  the  people  who  own  them.  You  see,  every 
body  thinks  about  Christmas,  and  I  don't  want  to  be  con 
fused  with  everybody,  in  the  minds  of  just  those  special 
people.  Now,  the  truth  is,  I've  got  a  little  birthday  pres 
ent  upstairs,  which  I  didn't  mean  you  should  see  until  to 
morrow,  but  as  part  of  it  may  come  in  rather  handy  this 
morning,  perhaps  we  might  run  up  and  have  a  look  at  it." 

"  Oh,  Sally,  you  dear !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Oh,  Sally,  you  wretch,  to  have  kept  that  birthday  to 
yourself;  I  want  to  be  on  in  this  act,"  grumbled  Potter. 
But  I  hardly  heard  him,  I  was  so  excited  about  what  I  was 
going  to  find  upstairs. 

We  went  to  my  room,  Sally  and  I;  and  she  rang  for 
Louise,  who  was  told  to  fetch  from  what  Sally  called  her 
"  closet "  a  certain  black  "  trunk  "  of  whose  existence 
Louise  was  evidently  already  aware. 

It  was  a  good-sized  box,  big  enough  to  hold  two  or 
three  dresses;  and  when  it  was  opened  by  Sally  after 
Louise  had  gone,  it  proved  to  contain  three  and  a  half. 

One  of  the  three  was  a  blue  gauze  ball  gown,  embroidered 
with  patterns  of  thistles  in  tiny  sparkling  things  that 
looked  like  diamonds ;  the  second  was  pink  tulle,  with  gar 
lands  of  tiny  roses;  the  third  was  a  white  linen,  made  as 
only  Americans  know  how  to  make  up  linens ;  and  the  half 
was — well,  I  was  not  quite  sure  what  it  was  at  first,  though 
I  could  see  that  it  was  pretty.  It  was  pale  green  and 
there  were  two  parts  of  it.  The  bigger  of  the  two  (it 
was  not  very  big)  was  of  soft  silk,  and  extremely  fluffy. 
It  had  a  low-necked  and  short-sleeved  bodice,  and  attached 
to  that  was  a  skirt — or  something  that  would  have  been  a 
skirt  if  it  had  had  more  time  to  grow.  The  second  part 


158    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

was  silk,  too,  but  more  difficult  to  describe.  Perhaps  I'd  do 
best  to  say  that  it  was  like  long  stockings,  only  it  was  in 
one  piece  and  evidently  meant  to  fasten  round  the  waist. 

"  There's  also  a  pair  of  sandals  and  a  really  sweet  cap, 
deah,"  Sally  explained. 

"  Is  it  a  fancy  dress  for  a  little  girl?  "  I  asked  puzzled. 

"  For  a  little  girl  about  your  size.  Why,  you  funny 
child,  it's  your  bathing  dress.  I  had  to  get  it  and  all  the 
other  things  ready  made,  for  there  wasn't  time  for  any 
thing  more  than  having  them  altered  to  your  measurement 
if  they  were  to  be  ready  for  your  birthday." 

"  Oh,  Sally,  are  they  all  for  me?  " 

"  Well,  they're  for  nobody  else.     It's  your  birthday." 

Of  course  I  told  her  she  was  an  angel,  and  so  she  was, 
quite  an  exceptional  kind  of  an  angel;  and  I  kissed  her, 
and  was  saying  a  great  many  things,  when  she  stopped 
me.  "  So  glad  you  like  them,  deah.  But  now  we  must 
be  moving  if  we're  to  have  our  bath  this  morning.  Louise 
can't  leave  Katherine,  but  we'll  have  one  of  the  other 
maids  come  with  our  things.  It's  getting  late." 

I  felt  frightfully.  "  It  is  late,  isn't  it?  "  said  I,  hope 
fully,  looking  at  my  watch.  "  Perhaps  it's  too  late  to  go 
this  morning,  after  all." 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  said  Sally.     "  Come  along." 

"  I'm  not  sure  but  that  I'd  better  stop  in,  if  Mr.  Parker 
thinks  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  would  want  me  to,"  I 
floundered  on. 

"  She  won't  mind — not  much,  anyway,  if  we  don't  take 
you  to  the  Casino  without  her,"  Sally  tried  to  reassure  me. 
But  her  eyes  had  begun  to  twinkle. 

"  Don't  you  think  she  might  ?  There  are  a  lot  of  letters 
I  ought— 

"  Now  child,  out  with  it.  Don't  you  like  the  bathing 
dress?" 


ABOUT    BATHING  159 

"  Oh,  I  admire  it  immensely,"  I  stammered.  "  It's  like 
a — a  picture.  But — I  can't  see  myself  wearing  it.  That 
is,  I  can't  bear  to  think  of  anyone  else  seeing  me  wear  it." 

Sally  went  off  into  a  fit  of  musical  Southern  laughter. 
"  You  poor  baby.  I  forgot  the  shock  it  might  be  to 
you,  if  you're  accustomed  only  to  English  bathing  clothes. 
They  certainly  are  the  limit!  Have  you  never  been  to 
Trouville  or  Ostend?  " 

I  shook  my  head,  sad  at  having  to  seem  ungrateful. 
But  how  could  I  help  it? 

"  Well,  they  have  this  kind  there,  and  so  they  do  here. 
Everybody  has  it.  My  prettiest  one  is  much  like  yours, 
only  it's  poppy-coloured.  Katherine's  is  cornflower  blue 
this  year,  and  she's  got  a  black  one  and  a  lilac  one.  When 
you  see  all  the  others  prancing  about  in  the  same  sort  of 
things,  you  won't  feel  a  bit  funny." 

I  was  far  from  sure  that  I  should  attain  to  such  a  peace 
ful  state  of  mind  as  not  to  "  feel  funny  " ;  but  Sally  had 
called  me  a  baby,  and  I  had  to  redeem  myself  from  that 
aspersion  at  any  price.  So  I  tried  to  compose  my  coun 
tenance  over  a  beating  heart,  and  think  about  other  things 
on  the  way  to  the  beach,  as  you  do  if  you  are  going  to  the 
dentist's. 

Potter  went  with  us,  though  I  supposed  that  when  we 
came  to  the  end,  he  would  bid  us  good-bye,  and  trot  off  to 
the  place  where  the  men  bathed,  wherever  that  might  be. 
Our  things  had  been  taken  on  ahead  by  a  servant  or  two, 
and  we  walked,  as  the  day  was  perfect,  and  I  was  thank 
ful  to  get  a  little  exercise. 

We  met  a  great  many  people  whom  Sally  and  Potter 
knew,  and  just  as  Potter  had  said,  "  Here  we  are  at  Bailey's 
Beach,"  that  handsome  Mrs.  Pitchley  and  her  stepdaugh 
ter,  with  Mr.  Doremus  came  up.  They  called  to  us,  so 
we  stopped  to  speak,  and  I  was  pleased  because  I'd  been 


160    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

wanting  to  know  them.  We  were  introduced,  and  I  was 
wondering  what  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  would  do  if  she  could  see 
us  chatting  with  the  Pitchleys  in  sight  of  all  Newport, 
when  a  little  thin  man,  looking  perfectly  furious,  with  a 
a  striped  bathing  suit  rolled  up  under  his  arm,  came  hop 
ping  along  towards  us,  as  if  he  were  a  cricket  ball  that 
somebody  had  batted  off  the  beach. 

His  panama  hat  was  on  the  back  of  his  head ;  his  single 
eyeglass  on  its  chain  was  flying  out  behind  him  in  the 
breeze,  and  my  first  thought  was  how  comical  he  looked. 
My  second,  as  he  came  nearer,  was  something  quite 
different. 

"  Why,  Mohunsleigh!  "  I  cried. 

He  stopped  hopping  so  abruptly  that  he  stumbled,  and 
nearly  fell  down. 

"  Hullo,  Betty,"  he  growled,  hauling  off  his  hat  as  if 
he  hated  the  bother  of  doing  it.  "  Where  did  you  spring 
from?" 

"  Home.  Where  on  earth  did  you  spring  from?  "  I 
echoed. 

"  They've  sprung  me  off  their  beastly  beach,"  said  he, 
glaring,  and  sticking  in  his  eyeglass.  Then  he  almost 
waved  his  hideous  little  bathing  suit  at  me.  "  Wouldn't 
let  me  bathe,  the  bounders." 

"  Wouldn't  let  you  bathe?  " 

"  No.  Said,  *  You  can't  get  in  here.  This  beach  is 
for  millionaires.'  I'm  blest  if  I  don't  shake  the  sand  off 
my  feet  as  soon  as  I  can  pack  up  and  get  out." 

"No,  no,  don't  do  that,"  I  begged.  "There's  some 
mistake,  perhaps." 

"  No,  there  isn't,"  said  he.  "  I'm  not  a  millionaire ; 
but  I  did  think  I  looked  as  if  I  could  afford  a  bathe." 

"  Sally  dear,  do  let  me  introduce  my  cousin,  Lord 
Mohunsleigh,"  I  said  in  a  great  hurry. 


ABOUT    BATHING  161 

Potter  opened  his  eyes  at  the  thin  little  man,  and  Mrs. 
and  Miss  Pitchley  looked  at  him  with  interest. 

"  Do  introduce  us  all,"  laughed  Mrs.  Pitchley,  "  and 
then  we  can  sympathise  with  Lord — Lord — oh,  but  I  can 
never  learn  to  pronounce  him." 

I  introduced  him  to  the  mother  and  stepdaughter  then, 
though  I  hadn't  thought  of  its  being  necessary,  and  ex 
plained  that  my  cousin,  though  spelled  very  elaborately, 
was  pronounced  Moonslee. 

He  had  evidently  abandoned  all  intention  of  immediate 
flight  now,  and  his  rage  was  visibly  cooling.  He  was 
looking  at  Mrs.  Pitchley  with  quite  as  much  interest  as  she 
showed  in  him,  and  with  even  more  at  the  girl,  although  he 
talked  to  Potter  Parker,  and  answered  his  questions  quite 
civilly.  He  explained  that  he  had  actually  been  ordered 
away  from  the  beach,  bathing  suit  and  all,  by  some  "  im 
pertinent  ass  of  an  official." 

Potter  was  hospitably  distressed,  but  Mrs.  Pitchley  was 
moved  to  laughter. 

"  Ha,  ha,  won't  the  man  be  sick  when  he  sees  you  coming 
back  with  us,  and  hears  us  call  you  Lord  Mohunsleigh? — 
for  if  you'll  point  him  out  in  time,  that's  what  I  shall  call 
you,  right  under  his  nose.  You  see,  this  is  a  private 
beach.  We  all  subscribe  for  our  bath  houses;  but  you'll 
be  our  guest,  of  course,  and  I'll  put  Mr.  Pitchley's  box  at 
your  service.  He's  gone  off  fishing  for  a  few  days.  Only 
to  think  of  the  Earl  of  Mohunsleigh  being  turned  back. 
Delicious ! " 

"  Can't  say  I  thought  of  it  that  way  till  now,"  said 
Mohunsleigh,  pulling  his  wiry  moustache,  and  condescend 
ing  to  grin  slightly  at  last.  "  But  it's  true,  I'm  not  a  mil 
lionaire,  you  know." 

"  You're  an  earl,  you  can't  say  you're  not,  for  I  read 
in  The  Flashlight  only  the  other  day  that  the  Earl  of 


162    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

Mohunsleigh  had  sailed  for  America,  though  it  couldn't 
be  ascertained  on  what  ship." 

"  Didn't  know  there  was  any  particular  reason  why  it 
should  be  ascertained,"  said  Mohunsleigh.  "  I've  run 
over,  to  visit  a  chap  in  California, — dashed  nice  chap,  too, 
but  thought  I'd  have  a  shot  at  New  York  first,  and  blest 
if  I  could  stand  it;  never  could  stand  being  grilled  since 
a  sunstroke  I  got  when  I  was  serving  in  India." 

"  Dear  me,  who  and  what  does  a  lord  serve  ?  "  broke 
in  Miss  Pitchley;  which  surprised  Mohunsleigh  and  me 
both  so  much  that  he  stared,  and  I  blushed.  But  she 
didn't,  though  no  girl  under  Vic's  age  at  least  would 
think  of  cutting  in  like  that  with  a  stranger,  at  home. 
Mohunsleigh  was  delighted  to  be  spoken  to  by  her,  though, 
one  could  see.  His  eyes  brightened  up,  and  he  smiled, 
looking  straight  at  her,  as  if  she  were  a  new  and  abso 
lutely  desirable  kind  of  rifle.  I  say  rifle,  because  Mohuns 
leigh  is  a  great  shot,  and  would  rather  spend  his  money 
(what  he  has  of  it)  on  a  new  invention  by  way  of  a  gun 
than  anything  else. 

w  Used  to  be  in  the  army.  I've  chucked  it  now,"  he  ex 
plained,  affably,  beginning  to  look  quite  nice.  For  really, 
though  small  and  wiry,  with  ginger-coloured  hair  and 
moustache  and  no-coloured  eyes,  Mohunsleigh  isn't  an  ugly 
man,  when  you  come  to  notice  his  nice,  sharp  features. 
He's  only  a  distant  cousin  of  mine,  and  so  old  (he's  nearly 
forty)  that  in  the  first  years  of  our  acquaintance  he  made 
himself  agreeable  by  teaching  me  to  ride  on  his  foot;  but 
I  always  liked  him — whenever  I  remembered  his  existence. 
Naturally,  though,  this  hasn't  been  often,  as  one  of  his 
many  eccentricities  is  to  be  continually  prowling  at  the 
ends  of  the  earth — anywhere,  where  there  may  be  animals 
to  shoot.  What  kind,  he  doesn't  seem  to  care,  if  they  are 
only  large  enough.  Once,  he  was  fond  of  tigers ;  but  the 


ABOUT    BATHING  163 

last  thing  he  had  a  fad  for  was  polar  bears,  and  he  sent 
mother  a  skin,  which  makes  the  oak  room  smell  strongly  of 
camphor. 

"  I  hope,  anyhow,  you're  going  to  pay  a  good  long  visit 
to  Newport,"  said  Mrs.  Pitchley. 

"  I  meant  to  go  back  to-morrow  morning,"  replied 
Mohunsleigh.  "But  perhaps  I  might  stop  on  a  bit 
longer." 

"  We'll  give  you  some  fun,"  volunteered  Miss  Pitchley, 
looking  frightfully  pretty. 

"  Will  you  ?  "  said  Mohunsleigh.  "  Jolly  nice  of  you. 
I  must  think  about  it."  Then  he  deigned  to  remember 
that  I  was  his  little  long-lost  cousin;  asked  when  I'd  ar 
rived  on  this  side  the  water,  and  a  few  other  things;  but 
he  looked  more  at  Miss  Pitchley  than  at  me.  I  suppose 
it  is  difficult  to  be  much  excited  about  a  person  who  has 
taken  riding  lessons  on  your  foot. 

Potter  asked  Mohunsleigh  where  he  was  staying,  and 
when  he  heard  it  was  at  an  hotel,  he  said  his  sister  wouldn't 
allow  that  to  go  on.  Lord  Mohunsleigh  would  have  to 
come  to  The  Moorings,  that  was  settled ;  and  his  man  must 
be  told  to  pack  up  his  things  directly.  Mightn't  word  be 
sent  by  messenger  at  once? 

"  Haven't  brought  a  man,  thanks  awfully.  Shed  that 
habit  long  ago,"  said  my  cousin.  "  I've  got  precious  little 
luggage,  too;  picked  this  thing  up  in  a  shop  as  I  came 
along,  and  they  charged  me  the  deuce  of  a  lot  for  it. 
You're  awfully  good,  you  know,  and  all  that,  to  offer  to 
put  me  up,  but  I  only  came  prepared  to  spend  a  night  or 
two." 

Then  Potter  insisted,  and  blew  all  Mohunsleigh's  ob 
jections  away  one  by  one,  as  if  they  had  been  threads 
of  cobweb ;  still,  my  cousin  wouldn't  give  a  definite  answer, 
perhaps  not  understanding  American  hospitality,  or  per- 


164    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

haps  having  other  ideas  which  he  preferred.  At  all  events, 
we  went  to  the  bathing  machines  (which  weren't  bathing 
machines  at  all,  but  dear  little  houses)  without  anything 
being  decided.  The  only  invitation  which  Mohunsleigh 
had  really  accepted  was  Mrs.  Pitchley's,  for  her  husband's 
bathing  box. 

She  kept  her  word,  and  called  him  "Lord  Mohuns 
leigh  "  in  quite  a  high  voice,  just  as  we  passed  the  man 
who  had  refused  to  let  him  go  onto  the  beach  before ;  but 
the  man  didn't  seem  impressed  in  the  least.  I  think  he 
didn't  even  recognise  Mohunsleigh  as  the  same  person,  or 
if  he  did,  he  pretended  very  cleverly  not  to. 

I  had  forgotten  the  horror  of  the  bathing  dress  in  my 
surprise  at  meeting  Mohunsleigh,  but  it  fell  over  me  again 
like  a  cloud,  as  soon  as  I  was  shut  up  in  the  bathing  box 
with  those  wisps  of  green  silk.  I  wouldn't  have  the  maid 
help  me,  and  wrestled  with  the  ordeal  alone.  It  took  me 
some  time;  but  when  everything  was  on  (there  were  only 
four  things,  counting  the  cap  and  smart  little  sandals) 
I  couldn't  say  to  myself  that  the  effect  wasn't  attractive. 
It  was;  and  I  did  approve  of  myself  in  the  quaint  head 
dress,  which  was  more  like  a  fetching  silk  toque  with  an 
Alsatian  bow  in  front,  than  a  mere  cap. 

But  the  awful  moment  came  when  I  was  ready,  with  my 
hand  on  the  door.  I'm  sure  Joan  of  Arc  must  have  felt 
like  that  when  she  had  let  her  hair  down,  and  put  on  that 
graceful  white  dress  of  hers  one  sees  in  the  pictures,  to  be 
burned.  She  may  have  been  dimly  aware  that  she  was 
looking  quite  her  best,  as  I  was ;  but  even  that  couldn't 
have  buoyed  her  up  much  at  the  moment,  and  it  didn't  me. 

As  I  stood  hesitating,  somebody  knocked.  I  peeped  out, 
and  it  was  Sally — quiet,  unassuming  little  Sally,  with  her 
middle-aged  airs — looking  like  one  of  Stan's  Gaiety  Girl 
photographs,  in  a  short,  low-necked  dress  of  bright  poppy 


ABOUT    BATHING  165 

colour,  with  silk  legs  as  shiny  as  an  Archdeacon's,  only 
with  quite  a  different  effect. 

"  Come  on,  my  green  Undine,"  said  she ;  and  I  came, 
because  she  pulled  me  so  suddenly  that  otherwise  I  should 
have  fallen  flat  on  my  nose. 

Having  seen  her  dressed  so  much  in  my  style,  it  wasn't 
quite  as  bad  as  before ;  and  when  I  was  out  of  my  box, — 
like  one  of  those  little  barometer  women  that  tell  fair 
weather, — there  was  Mrs.  Pitchley  in  crimson,  and  Caro 
lyn  Pitchley  in  white,  and  lots  of  pretty  women,  all  with 
the  same  lovely  stockings.  There  hadn't  been  any  stand 
ing  about  when  we  arrived,  because  we  were  early,  not 
having  gone  to  the  Casino  first  as  the  others  had,  and  it 
was  a  relief  to  find  them;  or  it  was,  until  I  had  a  great 
shock. 

Instead  of  the  men  being  away  at  a  separate  beach  of 
their  own,  they  were  put  with  us,  and  kept  popping  out 
of  boxes  every  minute,  and  running  up  to  talk  to  the  girls 
they  knew,  just  as  calmly  as  if  they  were  in  evening 
dress.  My  eyes  almost  came  out  of  my  head  for  an 
instant.  Then  I  just  swallowed  hard,  and  leaped  over 
about  five  centuries  of  prejudice  as  if  I  were  jumping 
across  a  tiny  beck. 

"  Everything's  a  matter  of  custom,"  said  I  to  myself ; 
and  in  another  minute  I  was  racing  gaily  down  to  the 
water,  hand  in  hand  with  Sally,  as  if  we  had  been  little  girls 
with  sand  pails  and  shovels. 

I  expected  to  feel  as  if  I  had  plunged  into  a  million- 
gallon  bath  of  iced  water,  when  I  got  out  among  the 
creamy  breakers;  but  judging  from  the  sensation,  Ameri 
cans  have  had  their  part  of  the  Atlantic  beautifully 
warmed  from  underneath,  with  some  patent  heating  ap 
paratus.  It  would  be  just  like  them! 

The  sandy  beach  is  so  level,  you  can  patter  out  ever 


166    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

so  far,  until  you  finally  have  to  bob  up  and  down  for 
the  rolling  waves,  as  if  they  were  Royalties — and  so  they 
are,  for  the  Kingdom  of  Mer.  I  can  swim  a  little,  and 
Potter  took  me  beyond  the  breakers.  It  was  great  fun, 
under  that  arch  of  turquoise  sky,  with  the  sun  dancing 
on  the  clear  green  water,  as  if  the  millionaires  of  Newport 
had  been  sprinkling  gold  pieces.  But  the  best  of  all  was 
the  floating  platform,  about  a  hundred  yards  from  the 
beach,  where  we  sat  and  let  the  emeralds  and  pearls  that 
the  Princesses  of  Mer  threw,  spray  over  us. 

At  home,  when  you  are  at  the  sea,  your  governess  or 
some  other  person  who  thinks  enjoyment  ought  to  be 
measured  off  by  rule,  sits  on  the  shore  looking  at  her  watch ; 
and  when  you  have  been  in  exactly  twenty  minutes  she 
tells  you  to  come  out  directly,  or  you  will  catch  a  chill. 
I've  always  wondered  what  it  would  do  to  you  if  you 
stopped  in  for  twenty-one  minutes,  though  I  never  had  the 
chance  to  try;  but  in  America  all  that  is  quite  different, 
as  different  as  the  very  way  they  say  "  seaside,"  with 
their  accent  on  the  first  instead  of  the  last  syllable. 

Nobody  thinks  about  watches.  You  just  bathe  and 
bathe  as  long  as  you  feel  like  it.  When  you  are  tired  of 
it  you  come  out;  then  you  bake  yourself  in  the  sand  for 
a  little  while  if  you  like,  and  run  back  to  begin  over  again. 
It  is  heavenly.  No  other  adjective  half  expresses  it. 

When  we  did  really  make  up  our  minds  to  stop  out  for 
good,  and  had  dressed  ourselves,  feeling  like  goddesses 
just  born  of  the  foam  (or  gods,  as  the  case  might  be),  we 
all  met — our  party,  the  Pitchleys  and  my  cousin, — to 
arrange  about  what  Mohunsleigh  would  do. 

It  seemed  that  Mrs.  Pitchley  had  invited  him  to  lunch, 
and  as  she  had  been  so  kind  about  the  bathhouse,  he  ex 
plained  to  Potter,  he  thought  that  he  couldn't  very  well 
refuse.  About  stopping  on,  he  would  decide  later;  but  he 


ABOUT    BATHING  167 

consented  to  drive  with  us  in  the  afternoon,  in  a  motor  car 
of  Potter's  that  holds  six.  By  that  time,  he  would  have 
had  time  to  send  a  wire  to  a  friend  of  his  in  New  York, 
and  to  make  up  his  mind  what  he  had  better  do  about 
going  back. 

When  we  got  home,  we  found  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  much 
better,  and  up.  She  was  inclined  at  first  to  be  cross  with 
Sally  and  Potter  for  taking  me  to  the  beach;  but  when 
she  heard  about  Mohunsleigh,  she  forgot  to  be  vexed,  and 
seemed  almost  excited  about  him,  I  can't  think  why. 

She  asked  lots  of  questions,  very  quickly,  one  after  the 
other,  brightening  up  when  Potter  told  how  he  had  invited 
Mohunsleigh  to  come  to  The  Moorings,  but  looking  quite 
strained  and  wild  at  the  news  about  his  lunching  with 
the  Pitchleys. 

"  You  oughtn't  to  have  let  him  go,  Potter,"  she  said. 

Potter  shrugged  his  shoulders — those  square  American 
shoulders  of  his.  "  Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  you,  he 
wanted  to.  That  settled  it.  I  didn't  monkey  with  the 
gunpowder." 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  lips  went  down  at  the  corners,  and  her 
eyes  flashed. 

"  How  easy  it  is  to  see  that  woman's  game,"  said  she. 
"  Cora  Pitchley  knows  that  Mrs.  Van  der  Windt  and  the 
committee  will  be  only  too  anxious  for  us  to  go  to  the  Pink 
Ball  now,  and  she  thinks  she  sees  a  way  of  getting  there 
too,  after  all.  Mark  my  words,  she's  got  her  Earl ;  it'll  go 
hard  with  her  if  she  doesn't  stick  to  him.  Betty,  can't 
you  do  something?  He's  your  cousin.  You've  a  right 
to  him." 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  want  him  particularly,"  I  con 
fessed.  "  Mohunsleigh's  a  dear,  queer  old  thing,  and  I'm 
fond  of  him;  but  we  haven't  seen  much  of  him  at  home, 
for  years.  And  I  know  he  can't  be  bothered  with  me." 


168    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  Anyhow,  he  certainly  ought  to  be  here,"  said  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay,  anxiously ;  "  it  will  be  perfectly  loathsome  if 
we  have  to  sit  still  and  see  the  Pitchley's  gobble  him  up." 

"  Poor  Mohunsleigh !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  Why,  what  will 
they  do  with  him  ?  "  And  for  a  lurid  instant  I  beheld  Miss 
Pitchley  and  Carolyn  as  beautiful  ogresses,  with  their  lips 
red — too  red. 

"  They'll  go  to  the  Pink  Ball  with  him,  and  by  him. 
They  couldn't  without  him.  That's  what  they'll  do,"  said 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  as  if  she  saw  my  cousin's  whitening  bones 
picked  clean  by  the  Pitchley  family.  "  And  we  shall  have 
to  be  intimate  with  them,  the  whole  time  he  stays." 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  feel  bound  to  for  my  sake.  It  isn't 

as  though  Mohunsleigh "  I  began ;  but  Mrs.  Ess  Kay 

snapped  my  poor  sentence  in  two,  as  if  it  had  been  cotton 
on  a  reel. 

"  I  have  to  think  for  all  of  us,"  said  she ;  "  Cora  Pitch- 
ley  is  a  climber." 

We  changed  our  dresses  (Sally  says  one  must  be  for 
ever  changing  one's  dress  at  Newport),  lunched;  and  then 
at  the  door  appeared  a  gorgeous  white  motor  car  lined 
with  scarlet,  which  I  had  never  seen  before.  As  we  all 
had  on  white,  from  head  to  foot,  we  matched  it  beautifully ; 
and  feeling  that  we  looked  nice  enough  even  to  grace  an 
accident,  if  it  must  come,  we  started  to  pick  up  Carolyn 
Pitchley  and  my  cousin. 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay  didn't  go,  for  she  wasn't  quite  herself 
yet;  and  besides,  she  perhaps  thought  that  in  the  cir 
cumstances  Mohunsleigh  ought  to  be  brought  to  call 
before  she  met  him  informally.  I  don't  know  that  any  of 
us  were  as  sorry  as  we  ought  to  have  been  not  to  have  her. 

The  Pitchleys'  house,  which  is  called  the  Chateau  de 
Plaisance,  is  on  a  much  grander  scale  than  The  Moorings. 
It  thinks  it  is  an  old  French  Chateau,  and  tries  to  convey 


ABOUT    BATHING  169 

the  same  impression  to  beholders,  as  do  several  others  of 
more  or  less  the  same  sort.  But  it's  a  hopeless  effort. 
The  poor  dears  might  as  well  give  up  and  resign  them 
selves  once  for  all  to  being  a  blot  on  the  exquisite  blue 
and  gold  landscape ;  though  perhaps  if  they  can  hold  out 
for  two  or  three  hundred  years,  they  may  do  better.  The 
farther  we  went,  along  a  glorious  road  called  the  Cliff 
Drive,  and  the  more  charming  Colonial  houses  and  de 
lightful  "  cottages  "  I  saw,  the  more  I  felt  that  the  regular 
palaces  were  mistakes,  with  Newport  for  a  setting  and  the 
sea  for  a  background.  I  am  glad  that  I  didn't  live  at  the 
time  when  all  the  real  castles  of  the  world  were  young  and 
awkward.  Perhaps  they  looked  just  as  crude  as  these, 
at  first,  though  it's  hard  to  imagine  it. 

When  we  went  back,  the  first  thing  that  Mrs.  Ess  Kay 
asked,  was :  "  Well,  what  about  Lord  Mohunsleigh  ?  " 

"  He's  made  up  his  mind  to  stop,  and  send  for  his 
things,"  said  I. 

"  You  gave  him  my  note  ?    He's  coming  to  us  ?  " 

"  I  gave  him  the  note,  and  he's  coming  round  presently 
to  thank  you  for  being  so  kind.  But — he  feels  he  had 
better  stay  with  the  Pitchleys.  You  see,  it's  like  this. 
They  happen  to  be  sending  a  servant  to  New  York  to 
day,  to  do  some  commissions  for  Mrs.  Pitchley,  so  the 
man  will  go  to  Mohunsleigh's  hotel  too.  And  as  they're 
doing  so  much  for  him,  and  Mrs.  Pitchley  and  her  hus 
band  know  some  friends  of  his  at  Home,  he  thinks — But 
he'll  tell  you  all  about  it  himself." 

"  I  told  you  so !  "  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay. 


ABOUT  A  VIOLET  TEA  AND   A  MILLIONAIRE 

WHILE  we  were  motoring,  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  had 
been  terribly  busy  with  her  secretary,  get 
ting  invitations  ready  for  a  Violet  Tea. 

She  was  giving  the  Tea,  she  explained, 
to  introduce  me  to  Newport  Society,  and  she  was  having  a 
Violet  one  because  it  was  not  the  right  time  of  year  for 
violets. 

I  meekly  suggested  that  as  a  reason  for  giving  some 
other  kind  of  Tea,  but  she  said  not  at  all.  She  wished 
to  have  that  kind  because  violets  were  hard  to  get,  though 
not  impossible.  I  would  see  when  the  time  came  that 
she  could  get  them.  And  I  should  also  see,  if  it  were 
indeed  true  that  I  did  not  know,  what  a  Violet  Tea  was. 
She  wanted  it  to  be  a  surprise  for  me ;  she  thought  I  would 
like  it. 

I  hadn't  long  to  wait  before  learning  the  true  inward 
ness  of  a  Violet  Tea,  for  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  was  determined  to 
get  me  "  out  "  as  soon  as  possible ;  and  it  seems  that  in 
America  the  time  to  bring  a  girl  out  is  at  a  tea.  At  least, 
that  is  one  way ;  and  as  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  was  even  then  plan 
ning  to  give  something  very  big  just  before  the  much 
talked  about  "  Pink  Ball,"  so  as  to  "  take  the  shine  off  that 
grand  affair,"  she  wished  to  get  the  teacups  washed  up 
before  she  sent  out  the  next  invitations. 

I'm  sure  Mother  wouldn't  take  as  much  trouble  for  a 
house  party  to  meet  the  King  and  Queen,  as  Mrs.  Ess  Kay 
did  for  that  Violet  Tea;  and  I  daren't  think  even  now — 

170 


ABOUT    A    VIOLET    TEA  171 

though  it  happened  weeks  ago — of  the  money  she  must 
have  spent. 

For  one  thing,  she  and  Sally  and  I  had  to  have  violet 
dresses.  She  would  buy  mine  (I  don't  see  how  I  should 
have  done  it,  if  she  hadn't,  especially  as  Vic  wrote  just 
then  that  Mother  felt  poorer  than  ever,  and  That  Man 
hadn't  yet  proposed),  and  it  was  beautiful;  pale  violet 
silk  muslin,  trimmed  with  violets  and  their  leaves.  Then 
violet  and  silver  livery  was  ordered  in  a  great  hurry  for 
the  four  footmen — to  be  worn  on  one  afternoon,  and  no 
more!  But  these  things  were  mere  sketchy  details,  com 
pared  to  other  preparations. 

One  room,  where  tea  was  to  be  served,  was  entirely 
draped  with  violet  silk,  from  the  palest  to  the  darkest 
shades ;  and  for  the  smaller  of  the  two  drawing-rooms — 
the  one  where  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  would  stand  to  receive  her 
guests — wire  frames  were  made,  from  measurements,  to 
fit  and  cover  all  four  walls.  I  couldn't  imagine  what  these 
frames  were  for,  at  first,  but  when  their  hour  came,  they 
were  padded  with  moss  and  covered  with  fresh  violets. 
The  curtains  were  taken  down  from  the  windows,  and  a 
network  of  violets  was  hung  up  in  their  place,  with  an 
effect  of  great  loveliness  when  the  light  streamed  through 
the  screen  of  flowers.  And  even  this  was  not  all,  for  a  soft 
thick  mat  of  grass  and  moss  was  spread  over  the  polished 
floor,  with  a  sprinkling  of  violets.  All  the  furniture  was 
taken  away,  and  instead,  along  the  walls,  were  placed  banks 
of  artificial  moss  and  violets.  No  doubt  these  would  have 
been  real,  too,  but  when  crushed,  they  would  have  stained 
the  dresses  of  those  that  sat  upon  them.  Altogether,  the 
room  was  turned  into  a  woodsy  bower  of  violets;  and  I 
was  given  a  great  bunch  of  the  dear  flowers  to  carry. 

There  had  been  only  a  week  in  which  to  prepare  these 
sensational  effects,  but  everything  was  finished  in  time,  and 


172    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

without  flurry.  Already  I  knew  a  great  many  of  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay's  friends ;  and  on  the  day  of  the  tea  it  seemed  that  each 
person  whose  acquaintance  I  had  made  had  remembered 
me  with  a  cartwheel  of  violets.  All  my  flowers  were  placed 
in  vases  on  tables  in  the  big  drawing-room,  adjoining  the 
bower  of  violets ;  and  as  a  card  was  attached  to  each  bunch, 
pinned  on  the  masses  of  violet  satin  ribbon  which  trailed 
from  it,  each  giver  could  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  how 
his  gift  compared  with  his  neighbour's.  It  was  a  wonder 
ful  display — a  violet  show.  And,  as  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  had 
said,  "  it  was  not  the  right  time  of  the  year  for  violets." 

We  stood  on  our  feet  for  hours,  smiled  yards  of  smiles, 
and  said  the  same  things  over  and  over  again  so  many 
times,  that  I  began  to  feel  like  a  phonograph  doll  which 
I  saw  in  my  first  New  York  shop.  Only,  when  I  ran 
down  nobody  wound  me  up,  and  I  had  to  go  on  by  myself 
as  best  I  could,  which  was  fatiguing,  and  made  the 
machinery  squeak. 

But  everybody  said  it  was  a  huge  success.  The  New 
York  papers  had  each  more  than  a  column  about  the 
"  function,"  as  they  called  it,  and  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  was 
piously  happy. 

I  had  thought  we  were  very  gay  before;  but  after  the 
Violet  Tea,  from  getting  up  to  going  to  bed,  we  never 
had  a  moment  that  hadn't  its  own  appointed  place  in  the 
procession  of  hours,  like  a  bead  in  a  long  rosary. 

After  breakfast,  we  went  to  the  Casino,  to  play  tennis, 
listen  to  the  concert,  or  pretend  to,  and  to  gabble.  There, 
we  would  meet  everybody  we  knew;  and  it  was  odd  to  see 
the  calm,  but  slightly  conscious  air  of  superiority  with 
which  the  Everybodies,  going  in  or  out,  passed  the  poor 
nobodies  assembled  to  watch  the  Casino  entrance.  Just  as 
the  middle  and  lower  class  people  stand  till  they  are  ready 
to  drop,  only  to  see  the  Queen  drive  into  the  Park,  or  leave 


ABOUT    A    VIOLET    TEA  173 

Buckingham  Palace  dreadfully  bored,  to  open  a  bridge, 
so  these  Americans  jostle  each  other  to  see  their  million 
aires  and  especially  millionairesses,  going  to  enjoy  them 
selves.  Fancy  if  Londoners  reduced  themselves  to  a  state 
of  collapse  for  the  pleasure  of  seeing  Mr.  Beit  take  off  his 
hat  to  Mrs.  Wertheimer !  But  the  millionaires  in  America 
seem  to  be  like  our  aristocracy,  only  more  important,  for 
the  nonmillionaires  take  a  great  deal  more  trouble  to  stare 
at  them  than  the  common  people  do  at  us. 

After  the  Casino,  there  was  always  the  beach,  and  the 
most  delightful  things  happened  at  the  beach.  It  was 
never  twice  the  same.  Then,  we  would  lunch  with  some 
one,  or  some  one  would  lunch  with  us  at  The  Moorings. 
Afterwards  there  would  be  a  drive,  calls  to  make,  perhaps 
two  or  three  wonderful  "  At  Homes,"  or  concerts,  with 
great  singers  and  entertainers  from  New  York;  twenty 
minutes'  rest,  and  then  a  scramble  to  dress  for  dinner,  with 
a  "  dinner  dance  "  to  follow,  or  amateur  theatricals. 

Of  course,  as  I  haven't  been  presented  yet,  and  don't 
know  anything  about  what  the  Season  is  like  in  Town, 
except  what  Vic  has  told  me,  I  can't  judge  of  the  differ 
ences  at  first  hand ;  but  then,  Vic  has  told  me  a  lot,  and  I 
have  heard  Stan  and  Loveland  talk;  besides,  one  seems  to 
know  one's  own  country  and  country  people  by  instinct 
without  having  actually  to  see  what  they  do;  and  I'm 
sure  that  even  in  the  smartest  set  at  home  they  don't 
dream  of  bothering  their  heads  to  think  of  such  original 
entertainments  as  in  America. 

In  England  there  are  just  two  or  three  kinds  of  parties. 
You  give  a  crush,  which  is  grand  if  you  have  a  big  house, 
or  you  ask  a  few  bright,  particular  ones  and  enjoy  your 
self.  Or  in  the  country  you  have  a  house  party,  and  pick 
out  the  men  because  they  can  shoot  and  the  women  because 
they  are  pretty;  or  else,  if  it's  winter,  you  hunt  and  you 


174    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

have  theatricals.  But  the  Americans  at  Newport  turn 
up  their  noses  at  that  slow,  old-fashioned  kind  of  thing. 
They  lie  awake  nights  (I'm  sure  they  must)  to  think  of 
something  so  original  that  nobody  else  can  ever  have  had 
anything  the  least  like  it  before.  It  is  better,  too,  to  have 
it  very  sensational  and  startling.  If  you  are  invited  to 
a  party,  you  never  know  a  bit  what  it  will  be  like ;  whether 
you  will  dance  in  a  barn,  and  eat  your  supper  on  horse 
back  out  of  decorated  mangers;  whether  there  will  be 
captive  balloons  at  a  garden  party ;  whether  a  Noah's  Ark 
will  have  been  rigged  up  on  a  miniature  lake,  or  whether 
you  will  have  a  pair  of  skates  provided  for  you  and  find 
yourself  cutting  figures  on  the  ice  in  a  gorgeously  illumi 
nated  skating-rink,  with  the  thermometer  up  to  goodness 
knows  how  many  degrees  outside. 

Of  course,  in  a  place  where  everybody  gets  nervous 
prostration  trying  to  outdo  everybody  else  in  originality 
and  extravagance,  it  wouldn't  be  like  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  to 
let  herself  fall  behind. 

She  simply  made  up  her  mind  that  her  big  entertain 
ment  should  be  the  affair  of  the  season,  before  she  decided 
what  form  it  should  take.  She  thought  instead  of  sleeping, 
for  several  nights,  and  began  to  wear  the  expression  on 
her  face  which  I  have  in  motor  cars  when  I  think  we  are 
going  to  telescope  with  something  twice  our  size,  and  am 
trying  to  prepare  for  eternity  with  a  pleasant  smile  on 
my  lips.  She  ate  scarcely  anything,  telephoned  a  good 
deal,  and  took  phenacetin  in  hot  milk.  Then,  suddenly,  it 
came  to  her ; — I  mean  the  Idea. 

We  were  at  lunch  when  she  thought  of  it,  and  luckily 
there  were  no  visitors  except  Mrs.  Pitchley  and  Carolyn, 
Mohunsleigh,  and  Tom  Doremus.  It  was  bad  enough  even 
with  them,  for  she  half  sprang  up,  then  sat  down  again, 
first  going  red,  then  going  pale;  and  we  all  thought  she 


ABOUT    A    VIOLET    TEA  175 

was  getting  ready  to  faint.  But  as  soon  as  she  could 
speak,  she  said,  when  we  shrieked  at  her,  "  It's  nothing — 
nothing.  I've  just  thought  of  something,  that's  all." 

Afterwards,  when  she  and  Sally  and  Potter  and  I  were 
alone  together,  she  told  us  that  at  last  she  had  got  the 
right  inspiration  for  her  big  entertainment. 

It  was  two  days  after  the  Violet  Tea,  so  it  was  quite 
time  she  should  get  it,  she  said;  and  she  had  been  dread 
fully  worried,  because  the  invitations  ought  to  go  out 
almost  at  once.  The  famous  Pink  Ball  at  the  Casino  was 
for  the  23d,  and  she  wanted  to  have  her  party  the  night 
before,  so  that  everybody  would  be  worn  out,  and  the  ball 
would  fall  flat. 

"  But  we've  got  our  cards  all  right  now,"  said  Potter. 
"  Why  do  you  want  to  queer  the  show  ?  " 

"  I  intend  to  show  Mrs.  Van  der  Windt  what  I  can  do," 
she  answered. 

"  Suppose  a  lot  of  the  people  you  want  refuse  you,  so 
that  they  can  be  fresh  for  the  ball?  "  Sally  suggested. 

"  They  won't,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  "  when  they  have 
seen  what  I  shall  say  on  the  invitations." 

Then  she  got  up,  went  to  her  desk,  took  out  some  en 
graved  cards  which  she  had  ready,  all  but  filling  in  the 
date,  and  wrote  something  in  one  corner.  "  What  do  you 
think  of  that?  "  she  asked  Sally. 

Sally  took  the  card,  looked  at  it  for  a  minute,  laughed, 
and  passed  it  on  to  me,  while  Potter  came  and  stared  over 
my  shoulder. 

She  had  written  across  the  card :  "  Fancy  Dress,  with 
Masks.  A  Visit  to  the  Maze;  and  Aladdin's  Cave." 

"  Do  you  think  that  will  bring  them  ?  "  she  enquired, 
with  a  triumphant  and  mysterious  air. 

"  I  think  it  will"  said  Sally. 

"  You  know  your  business,  old  girl,"  remarked  Potter. 


176    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"They'll  want   to   know   what   it   means,   and  they'll  be 
bound  to  come  and  find  out.    What  is  your  idea,  anyway?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  another  time,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay.  "  I 
should  like  it  to  be  a  surprise  for  Betty,  just  as  it  will  be 
for  people  outside.  She'll  enjoy  it  more." 

I  didn't  tease  to  know  the  secret,  though  I  was  really 
curious,  especially  about  Aladdin's  Cave,  which  seemed  to 
promise  something  gorgeous.  The  mystery  was  religiously 
kept;  but  there  was  plenty  of  excitement  in  sending  out 
the  invitations. 

There  were  endless  discussions  between  Mrs.  Ess  Kay 
and  Potter,  and  though  she  seemed  so  angry  with  Mrs. 
Van  der  Windt  and  several  other  members  of  the  Ball  com 
mittee,  for  trying  to  make  a  stand  against  her,  she  was 
perfectly  ruthless  about  the  names  she  would  scratch  off 
the  lists  her  secretary  was  continually  making  out  and  re 
vising  for  her. 

I  heard  her  say  that  she  wouldn't  have  dreamed  of 
asking  the  Pitchleys,  if  they  hadn't  "got  hold  of"  Mohuns- 
leigh;  and  that  Cora  Pitchley,  whatever  else  she  might 
be,  was  the  cleverest  woman  in  Newport,  to  have  scooped 
in  all  the  honours.  Though  to  this  day  I  can't  see  exactly 
what  she  meant,  for  she  never  would  explain. 

Anyhow,  whatever  the  superlatively  clever  thing  was  that 
Mrs.  Pitchley  had  done,  there  was  no  longer  a  question  of 
her  being  kept  out  from  the  Pink  Ball,  or  anything  else. 
People  were  charming  to  her,  and  we  met  Mrs.  Van  der 
Windt  herself  at  the  Chateau  at  a  luncheon  party  with  a 
vaudeville  entertainment  afterwards,  and  also  at  a  dinner. 
Mrs.  Van  der  Windt  seemed  to  like  my  cousin,  Mohuns- 
leigh,  very  much,  too,  and  gave  a  moonlight  motor  car 
picnic  especially  for  him,  with  only  a  few  people  asked 
besides  ourselves,  and  the  Pitchleys  and  Tom  Doremus. 

Mohunsleigh  had  not  expected  to  stay  more  than  a  few 


ABOUT   A    VIOLET    TEA  177 

days;  but  when  he  found  that  the  friend  he  wanted  to 
visit  in  California  was  detained  in  New  York  on  business, 
and  Mrs.  Pitchley  and  everybody  urged  him  very  much 
to  stop,  he  decided  that  he  would.  I  didn't  suppose  that 
Mohunsleigh  would  care  for  frivolities,  after  all  the 
years  he  has  spent  tramping  about  in  strange  countries, 
killing  things ;  but  he  appeared  to  be  perfectly  happy  and 
nothing  bored  him,  so  long  as  the  Pitchleys  were  there. 

When  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  was  making  out  the  list  of  invita 
tions  for  the  great  Blow  Out,  as  Potter  called  it,  Mohuns 
leigh  happened  to  stroll  over  to  The  Moorings  alone. 
He  came  to  tell  us  that  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  stay, 
and  why. 

"  You  see,"  he  exclaimed,  "  I  hadn't  an  invitation  for 
any  special  time,  from  Harborough.  It  was  a  sort  of 
standing  thing,  given  when  we  met  in  Damascus  last 
winter.  I  was  to  come  when  I  could,  and  be  always  wel 
come;  that  sort  of  thing,  don't  you  know.  I  cabled  the 
day  I  sailed,  and  didn't  get  any  answer,  but  I  hadn't  been 
in  New  York  two  hours  when  I'm  blessed  if  the  beggar 
didn't  walk  in  on  me  at  the  Waldorf.  Jolly  glad  to  see 
me,  and  all  that,  but  had  to  hang  on  in  New  York  for  a 
bit,  on  some  business  or  other.  Now  he  thinks  he  can't  get 
off  for  a  fortnight  or  so,  and  as  what  he's  got  on  isn't 
my  sort  of  racket,  I  might  as  well  be  here  as  anywhere  else, 
perhaps  a  little  better." 

"What  Harborough  is  your  friend?"  enquired  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay,  with  interest.  "  The  new  San  Francisco 
millionaire?  " 

"  Don't  know  how  new  he  is,"  said  Mohunsleigh,  "  or 
even  whether  he's  a  millionaire,  for  it's  the  sort  of  thing 
one  doesn't  ask  a  chap.  But  if  he  isn't  a  millionaire  he 
can  spend  money  like  one,  for  I've  seen  him  do  it.  A  deuce 
of  a  good  fellow  he  is ;  don't  know  a  better  anywhere." 


178    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  It's  Jameson  B.  Harborough,  isn't  it?"  asked  Sally; 
and  I  was  quite  surprised  to  hear  her  ask  the  question,  for 
she  never  seems  to  take  any  interest  in  a  man  just  be 
cause  he  is  a  millionaire,  as  so  many  of  the  other  people 
I  meet  do. 

"  Yes,  those  are  his  initials,"  said  Mohunsleigh,  looking 
bored. 

"  Then  it  is  the  millionaire,  Katherine,"  went  on  Sally, 
quite  eagerly.  "  Don't  you  think,  as  he's  said  to  be  such 
an  interesting,  original  sort  of  person,  and  such  a  friend 
of  Lord  Mohunsleigh's,  besides,  that  it  would  be  nice  if 
you  gave  Lord  Mohunsleigh  a  card  to  send  him,  for  your 
party  on  the  22d?" 

"  Why,  yes,  that's  a  very  good  idea  of  yours,  Sally," 
exclaimed  Mrs.  Ess  Kay.  "  I  shall  be  delighted.  I'll  give 
you  the  card  now,  Lord  Mohunsleigh,  if  you  don't  mind." 

Lord  Mohunsleigh  said  that  he  would  be  very  pleased, 
but  he  couldn't  tell  at  all  whether  his  friend  went  in  for 
that  sort  of  thing — had  an  idea  he  didn't,  and  rather 
fought  shy  of  society  shows,  though,  of  course,  Har 
borough  was  a  gentleman,  and  all  that. 

"  Anyhow,  you  send  him  the  card,  and  write  him  a  line 
saying  we  should  like  to  meet  him,"  persisted  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay. 

Accordingly,  Mohunsleigh  slipped  the  card  in  its  crested 
envelope  into  his  pocket,  and  we  heard  nothing  more  of 
it  for  a  while.  Then,  when  I  at  least  had  forgotten  the 
conversation,  in  the  wild  rush  for  pleasure  in  which  we 
lived,  he  said  one  day  to  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  Sally  that  his 
friend  would  be  so  much  obliged  if  the  invitation  might 
be  kept  open.  Harborough  couldn't  be  sure  until  the 
last  moment  whether  he  could  come  or  not,  but  would  be 
delighted  to  do  so,  if  he  might  be  allowed  to  decide  at 
the  last  moment. 


ABOUT    A    VIOLET    TEA  179 

All  Newport  was  soon  talking  about  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's 
mysterious  fancy  dress  party,  which  wasn't  exactly  a  ball, 
but  was — nobody  knew  what.  People  wondered  about 
the  Maze  and  Aladdin's  Cave;  and  those  who  were  asked 
were  sure  they  would  be  something  to  be  remembered  and 
talked  of  through  coming  seasons;  while  those  who  were 
not,  were  equally  certain  that  the  great  mysteries  would 
turn  out  to  be  stupid  and  childish.  The  Pink  Ball,  which 
had  been  the  one  absorbing  topic  of  conversation  till  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay's  invitations  appeared,  became  a  matter  of 
secondary  interest,  and  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  Mrs.  Pitchley 
both  began  thus  early  to  be  avenged. 

Potter  surprised  me  one  morning  with  the  design  of  a 
fancy  dress,  which  he  announced  that  he'd  been  inspired 
in  the  night  to  sketch  for  my  benefit.  According  to  him, 
I  was  to  represent  the  Frost  Sprite,  in  glittering  white 
garments,  with  a  long  veil  like  a  trail  of  sparkling  mist. 
I  thought  it  rather  suggestive  of  a  diamond-dusted  Christ 
mas  card,  but  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  was  so  charmed  with  the  idea 
that  she  begged  me  to  have  it.  "  Potter  will  be  broken 
hearted  if  you  don't,  and  besides,  it  will  cost  you  next  to 
nothing,"  she  said. 

It  was  the  latter  consideration  rather  more  than  the 
first  which  decided  me  to  give  my  gracious  consent.  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay  telegraphed  to  a  costumier,  who  was  also  an 
artist.  He  came,  made  a  few  practical  alterations  in 
Potter's  design,  and  arranged  costumes  for  Mrs.  Ess  Kay 
and  Sally.  Afterwards,  when  my  bill  came  in,  which  it 
didn't  do  till  I  asked  for  it,  it  certainly  was  ridiculously 
small,  a  mere  nothing  even  for  me ;  but  I  couldn't  help  hav 
ing  some  uncomfortable  suspicions,  and  I  have  them  still. 


XI 
ABOUT    A    GREAT    AFFAIR 

A'  ~D  now  I  have  come  to  the  Great  Affair. 
It  is  the  day  after,  and  I  have  been  scribbling 
down  in  a  hurry  all  the  things  that  happened  to 
me  in  Newport  meanwhile,  for  somehow  most 
things  have  seemed  to  lead  up  to  that. 

I  knew  no  more  than  anybody  outside  about  the  mystery 
of  the  Maze,  and  Aladdin's  Cave.  The  secret  was  wonder 
fully  kept,  although  there  was  a  constant  undertone  of 
excitement  running  through  the  house  for  days  before 
hand,  and  an  army  of  workmen  were  busy  in  "  the 
grounds " — as  everyone  calls  them — first  putting  up  a 
gigantic  marquee,  and  then  working  inside  it.  One  man 
told  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  that  he  had  been  offered  a  hundred  dol 
lars  by  a  New  York  newspaper  to  tell  what  was  the  nature 
of  his  work  at  The  Moorings,  but  either  the  bribe  wasn't 
enough,  or  else  he  was  impeccable. 

All  under  the  house  runs  a  great  cellar.  I  knew  this 
from  the  first,  because  one  broiling  hot  day,  soon  after  I 
came,  Sally  took  me  down  to  get  cool  after  I  had  dressed 
for  somebody's  At  Home,  and  looked  like  a  freshly  boiled 
lobster.  It's  a  series  of  rooms,  perfectly  ventilated,  with 
rough  walls,  and  cemented  floors.  One  of  the  rooms  is  of 
enormous  size,  and  there  are  stone  pillars  dotted  about  here 
and  there  for  supports.  There  is  one  other  that  is  rather 
large,  but  the  rest  are  small.  One  is  used  as  if  it  were  an 
ice  house;  there  are  others  for  wine;  and  there  are  some 
storerooms.  For  a  week  before  the  Great  Affair  men 

180 


ABOUT    A    GREAT    AFFAIR  181 

were  working  down  there  all  day,  and  towards  the  last  far 
into  the  night.  Big  boxes  and  bales  were  lugged  down 
stairs,  and  didn't  come  up  again.  Not  a  hint  went  round 
of  what  was  going  on,  but  I  was  sure  that  Aladdin's  Cave 
was  in  mysterious  process  of  manufacture. 

There  seemed  quite  a  pressure  on  the  atmosphere  for 
days  at  The  Moorings,  except  in  Sally  Woodburn's  rooms, 
for  I've  noticed  that  she  is  never  excited  by  social  events. 
They  seem  of  little  real  importance  to  her,  I  suppose,  com 
pared  with  the  past  which  she  has  always  in  her  thoughts. 
When  I  was  with  her  I  felt  calmer ;  but  with  others,  or  when 
I  was  alone  (which  seldom  happened  for  more  than  ten 
minutes  at  a  stretch)  I  was  as  much  excited  as  anybody. 
Partly  it  may  have  been  the  effect  of  climate,  for  the  air 
in  America  certainly  does  make  you  feel  always  as  if 
something  wonderful  was  going  to  happen  to  you  round 
the  next  corner;  and  partly  it  was  the  effect  of  Potter. 

Potter  was  most  disturbing — and  is  still,  for  that  mat 
ter.  He  has  the  air  of  feeling  that  he  and  he  alone  has  a 
right  to  me,  and  it's  quite  a  lesson  in  tact  keeping  the 
peace  between  him  and  other  men  who  feel  it  their  Chris 
tian  duty  to  be  a  little  nice  to  a  young  foreigner. 

But  I  am  thinking  now  of  the  time  before  the  Great 
Affair.  It  really  was  a  strain  wondering  what  it  would 
be  like,  and  whether  it  would  be  a  grand  success,  or  whether 
it  would  fall  short  of  all  the  brilliant  expectations,  when 
the  mystery  should  be  revealed. 

At  last  the  night  came.  The  invitations  were  for  ten 
o'clock,  and  people  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  come 
soon  after  the  hour,  and  begin.  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  stood  in 
the  Early  English  drawing-room  (that's  the  style  it's 
furnished  in,  or  she  believes  it  is)  receiving  without  a 
mask,  and  dressed  to  represent  Queen  Margaret  of  Na 
varre,  from  whom  she  says  that  she  is  descended.  She 


182    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

had  another  dress  to  put  on  afterwards,  so  that  none  of 
the  guests  would  recognise  her,  and  she  could  have  fun 
with  the  rest,  but  no  one  knew  about  that  except  Sally 
and  Potter,  and  me. 

We  others  didn't  appear  at  first,  because  we  had  no 
costumes  to  change  with,  but  by  and  by,  when  a  lot  of  peo 
ple  had  arrived,  we  mingled  with  them. 

As  soon  as  anyone  came  in,  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  would  say, 
"  How  do  you  do,  my  Lord  of  Leicester,  or  my  noble 
George  Washington,"  or  whatever  the  person  might  be 
trying  to  be.  "  So  glad  to  see  you.  You  must  go  and 
have  a  look  at  the  Maze.  Do  you  know  how  to  find  it? 
Just  through  that  curtain.  You  can't  miss  the  way." 

Then  the  gorgeous  masker  would  cross  the  hall,  and  dis 
appear  behind  a  great  curtain  of  tapestry  that  covered  an 
open  doorway  leading  to  the  garden.  But  he  hadn't  to 
go  out  of  doors.  A  canvas  covered,  winding  passage  took 
him  to  the  vast  marquee,  which  was,  of  course,  the  Maze. 
But  why  it  was  the  Maze,  and  what  happened  to  you  in 
the  Maze  after  you  had  got  in,  I  didn't  know  any  more 
than  the  outsiders.  That  was  the  fun  of  it  for  me,  of 
course;  and  it  really  was  fun. 

Sally  had  only  taken  enough  pains  about  her  dress  to 
save  annoying  Mrs.  Ess  Kay.  She  was  a  White  Carmelite, 
with  a  veil  over  her  face  instead  of  a  mask.  But  Potter 
had  made  a  tremendous  fuss  about  himself.  He  was 
Flame,  which  he  said  was  appropriate  in  the  circumstances, 
as  he  had  got  so  used  to  playing  Fire  to  my  Frost,  he  felt 
quite  at  home  in  the  character.  And  he  was  very  magnifi 
cent.  He  had  designed  the  costume  himself,  for  he  fancies 
himself  at  that  sort  of  thing;  and  my  white  sparkling 
robes,  and  his  scarlet  satin  and  carbuncle  embroidery,  and 
copper  and  gold  fringes  did  look  rather  effective  side  by 
side. 


ABOUT    A    GREAT    AFFAIR  183 

He  made  that  an  excuse  for  insisting  that  I  should  go 
with  him  into  the  Maze,  although  a  tall  Hamlet  and  a 
Henry  V.  of  England  both  wanted  to  take  me. 

Potter  whisked  me  away  from  them  somehow,  and  we 
passed  under  the  tapestry  curtains  while  one  of  the  two 
Hungarian  bands  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  had  hired  played  a 
waltz  which  made  me  long  to  dance. 

"  This  way  to  the  Maze ;  this  way  to  the  Maze,"  a  man 
dressed  like  a  Beefeater  was  continually  saying.  He  stood 
just  outside  the  door,  in  a  kind  of  canvas  vestibule,  lined 
with  greenery,  so  that  it  looked  like  the  entrance  to  a 
bower. 

The  passage  to  the  marquee  had  been  made  so  beautiful, 
that  I  couldn't  help  crying  out  to  Potter  with  admiration. 
Not  an  inch  of  the  canvas  showed,  for  we  walked  through 
a  sort  of  tunnel  of  roses,  all  lit  up  with  invisible  electric 
lights.  It  was  like  the  way  to  fairyland;  and  the  floor 
was  covered  with  a  mat  of  artificial  grass,  like  they  have 
for  stage  lawns,  Potter  said. 

I  thought,  when  we  came  to  the  end  of  the  rose-tunnel, 
we  should  find  ourselves  in  a  big  open  space  in  the  mar 
quee,  but  when  the  tunnel  stopped,  we  were  in  a  narrow 
alley  between  tall  green  bushes,  set  so  thickly  and  so  close 
together  that  we  couldn't  see  what  was  on  the  other  side. 
Above  us,  instead  of  the  canvas  roof  of  the  marquee  (which 
must  have  been  over  all),  a  violet  mist  seemed  to  float,  with 
a  very  faint,  soft  light  filtering  through  it,  like  blue  moon 
light.  I  suppose  it  must  have  been  ever  and  ever  so  many 
thicknesses  of  blue  gauze,  with  shaded  lights  hanging 
above,  but  the  effect  was  mysterious  and  alluring. 

We  had  only  gone  on  a  little  way  when  we  arrived  at  a 
tiny  house  built  apparently  of  red  flowers;  and  there  was 
a  red  light  coming  out  of  the  one  little  window.  "  The 
Witch  of  the  Woods  Lives  Here,"  said  a  card  on  the  door. 


184    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

We  pushed,  and  inside  was  a  room,  with  a  young  woman 
in  white,  crystal-gazing  as  hard  as  she  could.  She  had 
also  a  velvet  cushion  on  which  you  laid  your  hand,  and  she 
told  your  character  and  your  fortune.  Some  people  in 
historical  dress  were  ready  to  come  out  just  as  we  were 
going  in,  and  one  of  them  said,  "  It's  Madame  Cortelyn. 
Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  must  have  given  her  at  least  five 
hundred  dollars  or  she  wouldn't  have  come  a  step." 

We  had  our  hands  done,  and  the  Witch  of  the  Woods 
told  me  that  I  had  come  from  "  across  the  water,"  but  that 
I  would  marry  a  man  on  this  side;  and  then  she  saw  some 
one  in  the  crystal  who  looked  so  exactly  like  Potter  Parker, 
that  I  wished  I  had  stopped  outside  her  red  house. 

After  this,  we  kept  losing  ourselves  in  different  green- 
walled  paths,  and  suddenly  coming  on  booths  where  variety 
entertainments  were  going  on ;  or  funny  cardboard  pago 
das,  where  celebrated  Japanese  artists  did  your  portrait 
in  five  minutes  on  rice  paper;  or  silk  tents  with  conjuring 
shows.  And  there  was  a  place  where  you  fished  in  a  small 
round  pond  with  magnets  and  caught  little  metal  frogs 
with  j  ewels  in  their  heads,  which  you  picked  out.  Farther 
on  was  a  miniature  Eastern  bazaar  where  girls  in  gauze 
danced,  while  you  drank  Turkish  coffee  and  pushed  spoon 
fuls  of  sherbet  under  the  lace  on  your  mask.  And  there 
was  a  kinematograph  entertainment  of  a  bull  fight,  which 
I  wouldn't  look  at,  and  some  martyrs  being  reluctantly 
eaten  by  lions ;  and  Otero  dancing. 

All  the  masked  people  we  met  were  enjoying  themselves 
very  much,  and  saying  this  was  the  best  thing  for  years. 
And  it  really  was  fun,  but  at  last  I  thought  we  must  have 
seen  it  all,  and  I  wanted  to  go  out.  Besides,  I  was  tired 
of  being  with  Potter,  who  would  be  sentimental,  though  I 
begged  him  not. 

"  How  do  you  propose  to  escape?  "  he  asked.     "  This  is 


ABOUT    A    GREAT    AFFAIR  185 

a  Maze.  The  proper  dodge  in  a  Maze  is  to  be  lost,  and  I 
am  lost.  So  are  you.  We're  lost  together." 

"  But  I  want  to  be  found  now,"  said  I.  "  We've  been 
lost  long  enough.  There  are  lots  of  other  things  to  do." 

"  And  there's  all  night  to  do  them  in,"  said  Potter.  "  I 
daresay  we  shall  be  lost  for  an  hour  or  so  yet.  We've 
been  wandering  around  from  one  path  to  another,  and 
we've  never  seen  the  same  thing  twice,  so  perhaps  there's 
a  lot  more  to  explore." 

"  You  must  know,"  I  said.  "  It  wasn't  kept  a  secret 
from  you,  as  it  was  from  me.  You  must  have  been  through 
this  Maze  heaps  of  times,  and  of  course  you  know  the  way 
out." 

"  If  I  did,  I've  forgotten  it,"  Potter  coolly  remarked. 
Then  he  changed  his  tone.  "  You  make  me  forget  every 
thing,  Betty — everything  but  yourself." 

"  You're  not  to  call  me  Betty !  "  I  said  crossly,  for  I  was 
tired  of  having  conversations  turned  like  that.  And  I 
thought  that  I  would  be  having  much  more  fun  with  some 
one  else;  for  what  is  the  good  of  wearing  a  mask,  if  you 
are  only  to  talk  with  people  you  know? 

"  There's  something  else  I'd  a  great  deal  sooner  call 
you,"  he  half  whispered.  "  Come  into  this  little  dell  where 
the  fountain  is,  and  the  orange  trees,  and  let  me  tell  you." 

"  I  don't  want  to  know,"  I  said. 

"  Yes,  you  do.  Come  along,  anyhow,  and  I'll  pick  you 
an  orange.  Perhaps  there'll  be  something  nice  inside  it, 
like  there  was  in  the  toad's  head." 

I  wasn't  to  be  bribed  in  that  way,  but  he  took  hold  of 
my  hand,  and  pulled,  so  that  I  had  to  go  with  him  unless 
I  wished  to  resist  and  be  silly.  Several  people  were  coming 
towards  us  round  the  twist  of  the  path,  and  one  tall  man 
ahead  of  the  others,  dressed  very  plainly  like  a  Puritan, 
was  looking  hard  at  us.  Rather  than  make  a  scene,  I 


186    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

went  quietly  with  Potter;  but  as  soon  as  he  had  whisked 
me  into  the  little  dell  with  the  orange  trees  and  the  foun 
tain,  he  pushed  one  of  the  trees,  and  it  moved  forward  in  a 
groove,  so  as  to  block  up  the  entrance  and  hide  the  dell  from 
anyone  who  walked  along  the  path. 

"  That's  not  a  bad  trick,  is  it?  "  said  he.  "  I  had  that 
arranged  on  purpose." 

"  On  purpose  for  what?  "  I  was  silly  enough  to  ask. 

"  To  bring  you  here,  and  get  you  to  myself.  This  is 
Betty's  Bower;  but  nobody  knows  it  except  you  and  me." 

With  that,  he  pulled  off  his  mask,  and  made  as  if  he 
would  help  me  to  do  the  same  with  mine,  but  I  stepped 
back,  and  almost  tumbled  over  into  the  fountain.  Per 
haps  I  would,  if  he  hadn't  caught  me  round  the  waist ;  but 
instead  of  letting  go  when  he  had  steadied  me  on  my  feet, 
he  drew  me  closer  to  him.  I  gave  a  twist  and  a  little  angry 
cry,  and  just  then,  to  my  joy,  someone  from  outside  pushed 
the  orange  tree  back  in  its  groove  so  as  to  leave  an  opening 
again. 

I  darted  out,  and  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  tall  Puritan 
man  who  was  apparently  engaged  in  pulling  the  tree  for 
ward  so  as  to  close  the  gap  and  shut  Potter  in. 

It  was  so  quick,  that  I  hardly  had  time  to  understand 
whether  it  was  being  done  for  my  sake  or  not,  but  I  didn't 
stop  to  think ;  I  simply  ran.  I  met  harlequins,  and  queens, 
kings  and  columbines  hunting  in  couples  (the  green  alleys 
were  only  broad  enough  for  two),  but  I  pushed  by  them 
and  went  flitting  down  path  after  path,  though  voices 
called  after  me,  and  people  pretended  to  shiver  with  cold 
as  Frost  passed. 

Then,  suddenly,  "  I  think  this  is  a  way  out,"  said  a  voice 
I  knew,  speaking  just  behind  me.  It  was  the  voice  of  my 
brown  man.  I  could  have  recognised  it  among  thousands. 
But  when  I  looked,  it  was  the  tall  figure  of  the  grey 


ABOUT    A    GREAT    AFFAIR  187 

Puritan  who  had  helped  me  to  get  away  from  Potter 
Parker. 

I  didn't  answer  a  word ;  not  even  to  say  "  Thank  you  " ; 
or  "Is  this  really  you,  Mr.  Brett?"  I  just  went  in  the 
direction  he  said,  and  in  another  minute  I  was  out  under 
the  Italian  pergola,  draped  with  roses  and  wistaria,  that 
runs  for  a  long  way  overlooking  the  sea.  Then  I  glanced 
over  my  shoulder,  and  he  was  there,  but  hesitating  as  if  he 
hadn't  decided  whether  to  come  with  me,  or  go  back. 

When  I  saw  this,  I  did  stop  and  mumble  in  a  low  voice, 
"  It  is  you,  isn't  it,  Mr.  Brett?  " 

"  Yes,"  he  answered.     "  I  hope  you  forgive  me?  " 

"  Oh,  I  thank  you,"  said  I.  "  I — wanted  to  come  away. 
But  how  did  you  know  that — and  how  did  you  know  me  ?  " 

66 1  couldn't  help  seeing  that  you  were  being  pretty  well 
forced  to  do  something  you  didn't  want  to  do,"  he  re 
plied,  coming  a  few  steps  nearer;  and  there  seemed  to  be 
nobody  under  the  pergola  except  just  us  two.  "  I  don't 
suppose  I  had  any  right  to  be  angry  at  seeing  that  happen, 
but  I  was.  So  I  did  what  I  did  on  the  spur  of  the  moment. 
As  for  recognising  you — I — well,  you're  rather  tall,  you 
know,  and  have  a  way  of  holding  your  head  that — that 
isn't  easily  forgotten." 

"  I'm  sorry  I'm  so  badly  disguised,"  I  said,  laughing. 
"  But  I'm  glad  you  knew  me.  I'm  so  glad,  too,  that  I'm 
out  here.  I  began  to  have — quite  a  stifled  feeling.  How 
lovely  it  is  in  this  pergola,  isn't  it?  Do  you  think  we 
might  walk  for  a  few  minutes — and  get  cool?  " 

"  May  I  walk  with  you  ?  "  he  asked,  in  a  humble  sort  of 
way,  that  gave  me  a  funny  little  pain  in  my  heart. 

"  Please  do,"  I  said  quickly,  and  as  cordially  as  I  could 
— far  more  cordially  than  I  would  have  spoken  to  any  man 
in  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  set.  "  It's  nice  to  see  you  here  to 
night." 


188    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  You  must  be  very  much  surprised." 

I  had  said  "  Yes,"  before  I  stopped  to  think ;  and  then 
I  was  sorry,  because  it  showed  that  I  was  thinking  he 
did  not  belong  in  such  a  scene  as  this.  But  it  was  too 
late  to  go  back,  so  I  went  on,  instead.  "  It's  a  good 
surprise." 

"  It's  more  than  kind  of  you  not  quite  to  have  forgotten 
a  waif  like  me,"  he  said. 

"  I  shall  never  forget  you,"  said  I.  "  Why,  of  course, 
I  couldn't."  And  I  noticed  that  my  voice  sounded  quite 
earnest,  just  as  I  felt;  but  I  wasn't  sure  that  I  ought  to 
let  him  know — even  if  he  was  poor  and  unlucky — that  I  did 
feel  so  sincerely  about  it.  "  There's  Vivace,  you  know,  for 
one  reason." 

"What  about  Vivace?" 

"  Oh,  you  needn't  pretend ;  because  I  was  sure  you  gave 
him  to  me,  and  I  wanted  so  much  to  write  to  that  Club  and 
thank  you,  only  I  thought  as  you  had  put  no  name,  per 
haps  I'd  better  not.  I  must  tell  you  now,  though ;  I  can't 
think  how  you  came  to  be  so  kind." 

"  It  was  one  of  the  greatest  pleasures  I  have  ever  had. 
You  were  kind  not  to  be  offended  with  me.  I  didn't  mean 
to  take  a  liberty.  I  thought  you  would  like  the  little 
chap." 

"  I  love  him  dearly.  Often  I  should  have  been  dread 
fully  homesick  if  it  hadn't  been  for  him.  He  always 
seems  to  understand  if  I  feel  gloomy,  and  he  does  his  dear 
little  brindled  best  to  cheer  me  up." 

"  Vivace  is  a  lucky  and  happy  dog." 

"But  don't  you  miss  him?" 

"  No.  For  I  like  to  think  that  you  have  him.  You  see, 
you  were  very  kind  to  me,  when  I  was  in  a  hard  position, 
and  a  good  deal  down  on  my  luck.  There  was  nothing  I 
could  do  to  show  how  I  appreciated  it — until  I  thought  of 


ABOUT    A    GREAT    AFFAIR  189 

Vivace.  It  was  our  little  talk  on  the  dock,  about  '  finding 
a  lost  dog,'  that  put  the  idea  into  my  head." 

"  I  guessed  as  much,"  said  I,  laughing.  "  It  was  that 
made  me  sure  at  once  who  it  was  I  had  to  thank  for 
Vivace.  And — I  was  glad  he  had  been  yours.  After 
what  I'd  seen  you  do  on  board  ship,  you  know,  I — I  hon 
oured  you.  And  I  feel  proud  to  think  that — we  are 
friends." 

"  You  think  of  me  as  your  friend?  "  he  asked,  in  a 
voice  that  showed  he  was  glad,  or  excited,  or  something 
that  wasn't  quite  calm. 

"  Indeed,  I  do  think  of  you  so,"  I  assured  him.  "  And 
you've  proved  your  friendship  for  me  three  times.  Once 
on  the  dock.  Once,  by  giving  up  dear  Vivace  for  me. 
And  now  again  to-night,  when  you  came  to  my  rescue.  I 
was — really  bored  in  there,  you  know.  And  people  seem  to 
give  themselves  so  much  liberty  in — in  their  jokes  when 
they're  masked." 

"  I  have  to  thank  the  masks  for  being  at  Mrs.  Stuyves- 
ant-Knox's  house  to-night,"  said  Jim  Brett.  "  You  must 
be  wondering  how  they  let  me  in,  considering  that,  on  ac 
count  of  the  masks,  everybody  had  to  show  their  invitation 
cards  at  the  gates.  I  had  mine  all  right.  But — there 
are  such  things  as  newspaper  reporters,  as  you  know  to 
your  sorrow.  I  don't  say  I  am  here  in  that  capacity ;  but 
I  leave  you  to  draw  your  own  conclusions." 

"What  fun!"  I  exclaimed. 

"  It  is  fun  now ;  I  had  no  right  to  dare,  but  I  did  dare 
to  hope  that  I  might  have  a  glimpse  of  you.  I  was  sure 
that  I  should  recognise  you." 

"  If  I'd  dreamed  of  your  being  here,  I  should  have  recog 
nised  you,"  I  said.  "  You're  taller  than  any  other  man 
here,  I  think." 

"  Men  grow  tall  in  the  West,  where  I  come  from." 


190    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  And  strong." 

"  Yes,  and  strong,  too — thank  God." 

"  And  brave." 

"  Men  are  brave  all  the  world  over." 

"  I  should  think  there  are  none  braver  than  you,  Mr. 
Brett,"  I  said. 

"  It's  glorious  for  a  man  like  me  to  hear  such  kind 
words  from  a  girl  like  you,  though  I  don't  deserve  them," 
he  answered.  "  But  I  shall  try  to  deserve  them.  All  my 
life  I  shall  be  better  for  having  heard  them  from  your  lips. 
You  can  hardly  guess  what  it  is  to  me.  Perhaps  the  thing 
that  comes  nearest  to  it,  would  be  if  a  prisoner  for  life  in 
some  dark  pit  heard  a  voice  of  sympathy  speaking  to  him 
— actually  to  him — from  a  high  white  star." 

"  Oh,  don't  speak  of  yourself  as  a  prisoner  in  the  dark !  " 
I  cried. 

"  What  else  am  I,  when  I  stop  to  reflect  how  hopelessly 
I  must  be  removed  by  circumstances  from  glorious  heights 
— where  stars  shine." 

"  But  there  can  be  nothing  in  your  circumstances,  Mr. 
Brett,"  I  insisted,  eagerly,  "  which  need  remove  you  from 
any  heights.  I  wonder  you — so  brave  and  strong,  and  an 
American,  too — can  say  that  of  yourself.  Why,  you  can 
reach  anything,  do  anything  you  really  wish,  if  you  just 
want  it  enough." 

"  Do  you,  an  English  girl,  a  daughter  of  the  aristocracy, 
tell  me  that  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  do.  As  if  that  makes  any  difference — any  real,  true 
difference,  I  mean,  when  it  comes  to  the  heart  of  things. 
Oh,  I've  been  thinking  of  such  matters  a  great  deal  lately. 
I  suppose  because  I'm  among  Americans.  It  must  be  that 
which  has  put  the  subject  so  much  in  my  head." 

"  Tell  me  what  you  have  been  thinking." 

"  Oh,  I  can  hardly  tell.     But  for  one  thing,  I've  begun 


ABOUT    A    GREAT    AFFAIR  191 

to  see  that  a  man — a  man  like  you,  for  instance,  Mr.  Brett 
— oughtn't  to  call  himself  unlucky  because  he's  poor,  and 
has  perhaps  not  been  able  to  have  as  many  advantages  as 
richer  men.  He  ought  simply  to  feel  that  he  has  it  in  him 
to  make  himself  equal  in  every  way  with  the  highest." 

66  You  mean,  he  can  '  hustle,'  as  the  saying  is  with  us,  and 
get  rich,  so  as  to  stand  on  an  equality  with  millionaires  ?  " 

"  No,  it  wasn't  money  I  was  thinking  about.  I've  met 
a  good  many  millionaires  since  I've  been  here,  but  I've 
seen  none  whom  you  need  look  upon  as  your  superior. 
What  I  mean  is  that  you've  only  to  be  ambitious  enough, 
and  not  feel  that  you're  handicapped  by  your  start,  to 
attain  to  what  you  want  in  life — yes,  whatever  it  may  be." 

"You  mean  all  this,  Lady  Betty?"  he  asked  quickly. 
"  You  have  as  much  faith  as  that  in  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  answered ;  and  the  stars  and  the  sea  seemed 
to  sing  with  my  thoughts.  I  felt  uplifted,  somehow.  It 
was  a  wonderful  sensation,  which  it  would  be  impossible  to 
describe.  But  I  had  an  exciting  impression  that  Jim 
Brett  shared  it.  The  music  of  the  Hungarian  band  flowed 
out  from  the  house,  and  beat  in  my  blood.  His  voice 
sounded  as  if  it  beat  in  his,  too. 

"  You  can't  dream  what  my  ambitions  are,  or  maybe 
you  wouldn't  say  that." 

"  I'm  sure  they  would  only  be  noble  ones." 

"  It's  true ;  they  are  noble.  Yet  you  might  not  approve. 
But  they're  part  of  my  life.  I  couldn't  give  them  up  now, 
and  live." 

"  I  should  like  to  hear  about  them,"  I  said,  almost  more 
to  myself  than  to  him. 

"  Some  day,  if  we  meet  again — and  I  mean  we  shall, 
since  you  have  called  me  friend — perhaps  you  will  let  me 
tell  you  about  them.  I  shall  ask  you  to  listen.  But  not 
now.  I  daren't  now.  The  time  hasn't  come.  Only  prom- 


192    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

ise  me  this,  Lady  Betty;  that  you  won't  forget  me;  that 
you'll  think  of  me  kindly,  sometimes." 

"  I  do  think  of  you  very  often,"  I  said,  "  and  talk  about 
you  to  Vivace.  Poor  little  Vivace.  He  doesn't  forget. 
How  he  did  whimper  when  I  had  to  drag  him  away  from 
you  that  day  in  the  wistaria  arbour  at  Central  Park. 
This  isn't  unlike  that  arbour,  is  it?  There's  wistaria  here 
too.  I  believe  I  shall  always  think  of  that  day  when  I  see 
wistaria.  It  is  odd  we  should  meet  again  next  time  in  a 
place  so  much  the  same — and  just  as  unexpectedly." 

"  Just  as  unexpectedly,"  echoed  Mr.  Brett,  in  an  odd, 
thoughtful  tone.  "  It's  wonderful  that  we  should  meet 
at  all — considering  everything."  Then  he  laughed,  rather 
bitterly,  I  thought.  "  Aren't  you  afraid  of  me,  Lady 
Betty,  after  your  experience  of  journalists — since  I've 
half  hinted  to  you  I  may  be  acting  in  that  capacity  to 
night?  " 

"Afraid  of  you?"  I  repeated,  laughing.  "As  if  I 
could  be.  I  would  trust  you  in  everything." 

As  I  said  that,  a  lot  of  people  came  out  of  the  Maze 
in  the  marquee,  by  the  exit  Mr.  Brett  had  found  for  me. 
They  streamed  into  the  dimly  lighted  pergola,  in  their 
fantastic  costumes,  laughing  and  talking,  and  the  beauti 
ful  peace  of  the  blue  night — broken  only  by  the  throb  of 
distant  music — was  gone  completely. 

I  had  thought  of  taking  off  my  mask,  but  I  was  glad 
now  that  I'd  kept  it  on. 

They  came  towards  us,  all  in  great  spirits,  having  a 
game  of  "  Follow  my  Leader,"  and  their  leader,  a  Chinese 
Mandarin,  was  offering  to  guide  them  to  the  Cave  of  Alad 
din.  I  was  glad  that  the  Flame  Spirit  wasn't  in  the  gay 
procession.  Evidently  he  had  missed  me,  and  gone  some 
other  way;  or  else  he  was  too  angry  to  wish  to  find  me 
again, 


ABOUT    A    GREAT    AFFAIR  193 

The  crowd  stopped  to  speak  to  us,  making  jokes  in  dis 
guised  voices.  Some  of  the  things  they  said  made  me  feel 
that  it  would  be  uncomfortable  to  linger  behind  with  the 
Puritan,  when  they  had  passed  on. 

"  Let's  join  them,  shall  we?  "  I  asked.  "  They're  going 
to  Aladdin's  Cave.  Wouldn't  you  like  to  see  it?  " 

"  Yes,"  he  said.  And  we  followed  the  wild  party,  at  a 
discreet  distance. 

We  went  into  the  house  again,  by  a  roundabout  way, 
and  it  wasn't  until  we  were  in  the  big  hall  that  we  learned 
just  how  Aladdin's  Cave  was  to  be  found.  On  a  back 
ground  of  dark  red  flowers,  made  into  a  great  shield  and 
hung  over  a  door,  glittered  and  scintillated  three  words, 
in  electric  light,  "  To  Aladdin's  Cave."  The  letters  had 
been  lighted  up  only  since  I  had  been  gone,  for  I  suppose 
the  idea  was  to  make  everyone  go  into  the  Maze  first. 

We  had  to  pass  through  several  rooms  and  corridors,  all 
of  which  had  been  emptied  of  furniture  and  lined  with 
canvas  scenery  cleverly  painted  to  illustrate  events  in  the 
story  of  Aladdin.  Everything  was  shown  up  to  the  time 
that  Aladdin  went  down  into  the  Cave  at  the  bidding  of 
the  magician  disguised  as  his  "  uncle  " ;  and  then  came  the 
entrance  of  the  cave  itself,  which  was  done  in  imitation 
rockwork.  But  I  knew  that  it  was  the  way  down  to  the 
cellar.  Either  the  stairs  had  been  removed,  or  else  covered 
up  with  a  theatrical  kind  of  embankment,  that  made  a 
winding  path,  twisting  back  and  forth  under  a  roof  of  the 
imitation  rock,  and  sloping  always  downward.  At  the 
bottom  was  a  screen  of  spun  glass,  made  to  look  like  a  fall 
ing  cataract  of  bright  water,  and  until  you  had  passed  out 
from  behind  it  you  saw  nothing  except  a  glow  of  rosy 
light  filtering  through  the  transparent  glass.  But  when 
you  did  come  out,  unless  you  were  a  stick  or  a  stone,  you 
couldn't  resist  giving  an  "  Oh ! "  of  surprised  admiration. 


194    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

The  whole  cellar — at  least  all  of  it  that  was  left  visible 
— had  been  turned  into  a  fairy  cave  of  jewels.  The  walls 
and  ceiling  looked  like  rocks  studded  with  blazing  rubies 
and  flashing  diamonds.  The  rough  pillars  which  sup 
ported  the  floor  of  the  house  above  were  great  sparkling 
stalactites  and  stalagmites.  The  cemented  floor  was  cov 
ered  with  sand  that  glittered  like  diamond  dust,  and  there 
were  fruit  trees  and  rose  bushes,  rows  of  tall  hollyhocks, 
and  buds  of  tulips  all  apparently  made  of  illuminated 
jewels,  something  like  the  transformation  scene  in  a 
Pantomime  they  once  took  me  to  see — only  a  hundred  times 
prettier. 

At  the  far  end  of  the  Cave  a  bright  red  light  kept  com 
ing  and  going,  but  I  couldn't  see  by  what  it  was  made,  be 
cause  of  the  laughing  crowd  collected  round  it.  We  went 
nearer,  and  as  others  moved  away  we  took  their  places,  so 
that  at  last  we  saw  what  caused  the  light  and  made  the 
great  attraction  for  the  people. 

It  was  a  giant  lamp  of  a  strange  shape,  standing  up  to 
the  height  of  four  or  five  feet  from  the  floor,  on  a  pedestal ; 
and  behind  it  stood  the  Genie,  a  fearful  and  wonderful  ap 
parition  who  said  things,  in  a  deep  bass  voice,  which  made 
everybody  shout  with  laughter.  "  It's  Fred  Kane,  the 
great  Funny  Man,"  said  somebody. 

The  Genie's  witticisms  came  whenever  anyone  rubbed 
the  lamp,  which  each  person  was  requested  to  do,  as  he  or 
she  approached.  While  it  was  being  rubbed  the  magic 
lamp  flared  up,  and  gave  out  the  bright  red  light  we'd  seen 
at  a  distance,  and  simultaneously  the  Genie  took  something 
from  a  huge  sequin  covered  bag  he  had  looped  over  one  of 
his  arms.  If  the  person  who  rubbed  the  lamp  was  a  man, 
he  dipped  into  the  left  hand  bag ;  if  a  woman,  he  dived  into 
the  right  hand  one.  Each  time  a  beautiful  trinket  came 
out,  and  was  presented  with  a  low  bow  and  an  excruciat- 


ABOUT    A    GREAT    AFFAIR  195 

ingly  funny  speech,  suitable  to  the  character  which  the  per 
son  had  undertaken  for  the  evening.  His  wit  never  failed. 

Mr.  Brett  and  I  went  up  together.  The  Genie  crossed 
arms  and  grabbed  something  for  us  out  of  both  his  bags 
at  the  same  time.  Then,  by  mistake,  he  gave  me  the  thing 
from  the  left  hand  bag,  and  Mr.  Brett  the  one  from  the 
right.  We  walked  away  to  let  others  have  their  chance, 
looking  at  the  presents  we  had  got.  It  was  funny,  they 
both  happened  to  be  rings. 

Mine  was  twisted  bands  of  platinum  and  gold,  forming 
a  knot  to  hold  a  cabuchon  sapphire.  His  was  a  thin  set 
ting  for  seven  stones,  set  in  a  straight  row ;  diamond, 
emerald,  amethyst,  ruby,  emerald,  sapphire,  topaz. 

"  Yours  is  meant  for  a  woman,  and  mine  for  a  man,"  I 
said.  "  He  got  them  out  of  the  wrong  bags.  But  they're 
both  pretty,  and  so  queer." 

"  Will  you — shall  we  change?  "  he  asked. 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  mean  to  suggest  that,"  I  hurried  to  say. 
"  I  can  give  mine  to  my  brother  when  I  go  home.  And 
you — there  must  be  some  one " 

"  I've  no  sister.  And  there's  no  one  else,"  said  Mr. 
Brett.  "  Do  have  it.  You  see,  I  couldn't  get  it  on  my 
little  finger.  And  won't  you  keep  the  big  one  too?  It 
isn't  as  if  I  were  like  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox's  other 
guests " 

I  couldn't  bear  to  hear  him  say  that,  so  I  broke  in  and 
insisted  that  he  should  have  the  ring.  "  She  would  want 
you  to  have  it  of  course,  if  she  knew,"  I  said.  "  And  be 
sides,  I  want  you  to,  which  is  something." 

"  It's  everything,"  he  answered. 

Then  we  changed  rings,  and  I  told  him  that  I  hoped 
his  would  bring  him  luck,  glorious  luck. 

"  Do  you  wish  it  may  give  me  what  I  want  most  in  the 
world?  "  he  asked;  and  I  said  that  I  did. 


196    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  What  do  you  wish  mine  may  give  me  ?  "  I  went  on. 

"What  do  you  want  most?  Great  wealth?"  he  ques 
tioned  me. 

I  shook  my  head. 

"  To  have  the  world  at  your  feet?  " 

"  I  shouldn't  know  what  to  do  with  it." 

"  To  have  the  one  you  love  best  on  earth  love  you  ?  " 

"  I  should  have  to  stop  and  think  which  one  it  is." 

"  Then  I  wish  that  you  may  love  the  one  who  loves  you 
best  on  earth  and  more  than  all  the  world." 

Just  as  I  was  looking  up,  surprised  at  his  tone  more 
than  his  words,  there  came  a  burst  of  music,  and  part  of 
the  wall,  with  the  platform  on  which  the  Genie  and  his 
Lamp  had  been  standing,  rolled  away.  The  other  big  room 
of  the  cellar  was  revealed,  with  quantities  of  little  tables  all 
laid  out  for  supper,  and  the  walls  covered  with  smilax  and 
roses.  In  the  middle  of  this  new  room  was  a  huge  illum 
inated  ship  of  ice,  in  a  green  sea. 

Everybody  exclaimed  and  laughed  in  their  surprise  at 
such  an  unexpected  transformation.  Now  was  the  time 
for  unmasking,  of  course,  and  there  were  shrieks  of  sur 
prise  and  amusement  as  people  discovered  who  their  com 
panions  really  were.  For  a  minute — I'm  sure  it  couldn't 
have  been  more — I  forgot  Mr.  Brett,  to  stare  at  the 
great  glittering  ice  ship.  When  I  turned  to  speak  to  him, 
he  was  gone.  And  whether  he  vanished  on  purpose,  be 
cause  he  didn't  want  to  unmask  in  a  company  of  strange 
people,  or  whether  he  was  separated  from  me  by  the  sudden 
press  of  the  crowd,  I  don't  know.  I  suppose  I  shall  never 
know.  I  only  know  that  I  lost  him,  and  that  I  was  imme 
diately  surrounded  by  other  men,  saying  nice  things  about 
my  costume,  wanting  me  to  have  supper  with  them,  and 
asking  me  for  dances  afterwards. 

The  rest  of  the  night  went  by  with  a  wild  rush.     We 


ABOUT    A    GREAT    AFFAIR  197 

didn't  stop  dancing  till  four,  we  young  people ;  and  I  be 
lieve  the  older  ones  played  bridge.  We  had  a  second  sup 
per  served  upstairs  towards  dawn,  and  when  the  last  peo 
ple  went  away,  it  was  broad  and  glorious  daylight. 

"  Well,  deah,"  said  Sally,  cosily,  when  everyone  had 
gone,  and  she  had  come  into  my  room  to  help  me  undress. 
"  Had  you  a  good  time  ?  " 

"  Splendid!  "  said  I,  sighing  with  joy.  "  I'm  dancing 
still— in  my  head.  My  first  ball !  " 

"  Katherine  doesn't  call  it  a  ball.  But  that's  a  detail. 
Had  you  any  proposals?  " 

"Oh,  Sally,  how  came  you  to  think  of  such  a  thing? 
But  isn't  it  too  extraordinary?  I  had  three." 

"  Why   extraordinary  ?  " 

"  Because  I  hardly  knew  the  men !  " 

"  Americans  make  up  their  minds  quickly  about  what 
they  want." 

"  So  Mr.  P So  I've  been  told." 

"  Accept  anyone?  " 

"  Not  I." 

"  Didn't  even  give  them  a  wee  mite  of  hope  ?  " 

"  Dear  me,  no." 

"  Poor  Potter — for  one." 

"  Sally,  I  do  wish  he  wouldn't — do  that  sort  of  thing, 
since  you  speak  of  it.  It  makes  it  so  embarrassing.  And 
somehow,  I  don't  feel  he  really  means  it,  I've  always  the 
impression  that — that  _  he  does  it  because  he  thinks  he 
ought." 

"  He'd  like  to  marry  you,  Betty.  There's  no  doubt  of 
that.  And  one  can't  blame  him  for  it." 

"  Well,  if  he  keeps  on,  I  shall  be  driven  away,"  I  said. 
"  Although  they  don't  want  me  to  go  home  yet,  for — for 
several  reasons.  I  don't  want  to  go,  either.  I'm  having 
a  wonderful  experience.  But " 


198    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  Haven't  you  met  any  man  you  could  imagine  your 
self  caring  for,  deah?  Or,  perhaps,  you  don't  fancy 
Americans." 

"Oh,  I  do,"  I  exclaimed.  "They're  all  great  fun. 
And  one — one  man  I've  met  I  think  superior  to  any  other 
I  ever  knew.  But  then,  I've  known  so  few,  and  I  don't 
know  him  well.  You  needn't  look  at  me  like  that.  It  isn't 
a  romance,  you  dear.  I'm  most  unlikely  to  know  him  any 
better,  ever.  He — isn't  like  the  rest.  He  isn't  like  any 
body  else  I  ever  saw." 

"  Now,"  said  Sally,  coaxingly,  "  you  might  tell  me  if 
he's  one  of  the  three  who  proposed?  " 

"  Indeed,  he  isn't,  and  he  never  will.  Why,  Sally,  I 
don't  mind  telling  you  I  mean  that  Mr.  Brett,  who  was  on 
the  ship,  and  whom  we  met  afterwards  accidentally  in  the 
Park.  He  is  rather  wonderful — considering  his  station — 
isn't  he?  " 

"  He'd  be  rather  wonderful  in  any  station.  That's  my 
theory  about  him." 

"  I  think  it's  mine,  too.  He  was  here  to-night — as  a 
newspaper  reporter,  he  hinted,  though  he  didn't  exactly 
say  he  was,  in  so  many  words.  Did  he  talk  to  you?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Sally.  "  Indirectly,  I  got  him  his  chance 
to  come." 

"  I  gave  him  good  advice,"  said  I,  laughing.  "  All 
about  his  future,  and  ambition,  and  things  like  that.  I 
hope  he'll  take  it." 

"  He'll  probably  try  all  he  knows.  Did  he  thank  you 
prettily?  " 

"  I'm  not  sure  whether  he  thanked  me  at  all.  But  he 
gave  me  this  ring,  and  wished  me  luck  with  it.  It  was  the 
Genie's  present  to  him  in  Aladdin's  Cave.  I  changed  with 
him,  for  the  one  I  had.  But  this  is  much  prettier. 
Look." 


ABOUT    A    GREAT    AFFAIR  199 

"  D-E-A-R-E-S-T,  Dearest,"  Sally  spelt  out,  as  she 
held  the  third  finger  of  my  right  hand,  on  which  I'd  slipped 
the  ring. 

"  Where  do  you  find  that?  "  I  asked  quickly. 

"  t)on't  you  know?  Why,  the  stones  spell  it.  Dia 
mond,  emerald,  amethyst,  ruby,  emerald,  sapphire,  topaz." 

I  felt  my  cheeks  burn  when  she  gave  me  this  explana 
tion. 

I  wonder  if  Mr.  Brett  knew? 


XII 
ABOUT    A    WEDDING    AND    A    DISASTER 

IT'S  more  than  a  fortnight  since  I've  been  able  to  write 
about  any  of  the  things  that  have  happened  to  me. 
The  last  I  did  was  on  the  morning  after  the  Great 
Affair,  when  we  were  looking  forward  to  the  Pink  Ball 
in  the  evening.  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  didn't  quite  have  her  wish,  for 
the  ball  was  a  moderate  success ;  but  it  did  seem  a  pale  pink 
after  the  gorgeousness  of  the  night  before,  and  it  might 
have  been  still  paler  (as  everyone  felt  rather  washed  out) 
if  it  hadn't  been  for  one  special  excitement.  Mohunsleigh's 
engagement  to  Carolyn  Pitchley  was  announced,  and  we 
were  told  that  the  wedding  would  have  to  be  soon,   as 
Mohunsleigh  had  had  news  which  called  him  back  to  Eng 
land,  and  he  wanted  to  take  his  bride  with  him. 

Before  I  stopped  to  think,  I'd  promised  Carolyn  to  be 
one  of  her  bridesmaids ;  but  five  minutes  later  I  would 
almost  have  liked  to  change  my  mind,  because  of  Potter. 
He  was  asked  to  be  an  usher.  (I  didn't  know  at  the  time 
what  that  meant,  but  I  had  a  vague  impression  it  was 
something  of  importance  at  American  weddings)  so  that  I 
was  sure  to  see  a  lot  of  him  if  I  were  bridesmaid,  and  in 
any  case,  I  was  beginning  to  feel  he  might  make  it 
too  awkward  for  me  to  visit  much  longer  with  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay. 

However,  when  on  second  thoughts,  I  tried  to  get  out  of 
my  promise,  by  hinting  that  I  might  have  to  go  home, 
Carolyn  seemed  ready  to  cry  and  said  that  if  I  threw  her 
over  it  would  spoil  everything.  The  wedding  would  be  in 

200 


ABOUT    A    WEDDING  201 

ten  days,  and  surely,  I  hadn't  been  thinking  of  going  back 
to  England  as  soon  as  that? 

It  was  quite  true,  I  hadn't.  And  more  than  that,  I  knew 
I  shouldn't  be  welcome  at  home.  I  made  up  my  mind  to 
get  through  somehow,  and  told  Carolyn  I  had  only  been 
joking. 

She  had  always  wanted  to  be  married  at  Grace  Church 
in  New  York,  but  New  York  is  no  place  for  August  wed 
dings,  if  an  August  wedding  you  must  have ;  so  Carolyn's 
invitations,  which  appeared  almost  immediately  after  the 
engagement  was  announced,  told  everyone  that  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Pitchley  begged  them  to  be  present  at  their  daugh 
ter's  marriage  in  the  drawing  room  of  the  Chateau  de 
Plaisance. 

I  didn't  know  that  you  could  be  married  in  a  drawing 
room,  but  it  seems  you  can,  quite  properly.  However, 
when  I  go  home  I  don't  think  I'd  better  say  much  about 
that  part  of  Mohunsleigh's  wedding,  or  some  of  the  old- 
fashioned  people  mightn't  understand.  I  should  hate 
them  to  get  the  idea  just  because  of  the  drawing  room,  that 
poor  Carolyn  was  morganatic,  or  something. 

She  seemed  ecstatically  happy,  more  than  I  could  ima 
gine  any  girl  being  if  she  had  to  marry  Mohunsleigh,  who, 
although  a  dear  good  fellow  when  you  know  him,  isn't  a 
bit  romantic.  But  he  suddenly  blossomed  out  into  all 
sorts  of  pleasant  American  ways,  sent  Caro  flowers  and 
things  every  day,  though  I  fancy  he  couldn't  afford  it, 
gave  her  a  lovely  solitaire  diamond  ring,  which  I'm  sure 
he  couldn't,  and  a  "  guard,"  an  heirloom  in  his  family. 

It  would  have  been  shocking,  Carolyn  said,  for  her  to 
be  seen  anywhere  after  the  invitations  were  out,  though  I 
can't  think  why,  as  she  didn't  seem  at  all  ashamed  of  mar 
rying  Mohunsleigh,  but  rather  the  contrary,  and  asked  me 
hundreds  of  questions  about  what  she  would  have  to  do  when 


202    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

she  was  a  Countess.  Fortunately,  though,  she  had  lots 
of  things  to  keep  her  busy  indoors,  trying  on  such  frocks 
as  she  could  get  made  in  a  hurry,  and  writing  letters  to 
every  girl  she  knew,  announcing  her  engagement. 

The  funniest  things  about  the  whole  affair  were — for  me 
— the  ushers,  the  rehearsals  for  the  wedding,  and  having  a 
married  woman  as  a  sort  of  head  bridesmaid.  Carolyn's 
best  girl  chum  was  married  herself  in  the  spring,  so  she  had 
to  be  what  they  call  a  Matron  of  Honour. 

It  seemed  horribly  irreverent  to  rehearse  for  the  cere 
mony,  but  nobody  else  thought  so,  except  Mohunsleigh 
and  me,  and  Mohunsleigh  said  in  confidence,  that  he'd 
found  out  the  bridegroom  was  a  mere  lay  figure  at  a  wed 
ding, — anyhow  in  America, — and  he  intended  to  let  Caro 
do  exactly  as  she  liked  until  after  they  were  married. 
Then  she  might  have  to  find  out  that  once  in  a  while  it  would 
be  just  as  well  if  she  did  what  he  liked.  But  he  asked  me 
not  to  mention  this  to  Carolyn  and  her  stepmother,  so  I 
didn't.  And  in  spite  of  my  objection,  the  rehearsals  were 
interesting.  I  felt  as  if  I  oughtn't  to  laugh  and  joke,  but 
the  others  all  did  tremendously,  so  I  did  too  in  the  end. 

Mohunsleigh  was  disappointed  because  that  Calif ornian 
friend  of  his  (whom  he  would  have  visited  if  it  hadn't  been 
for  falling  in  love  unexpectedly  and  getting  married) 
couldn't  come  and  be  his  best  man.  He  urged  him,  but 
something  interfered,  Mohunsleigh  didn't  tell  us  what,  and 
Mr.  Jameson  B.  Harborough  wasn't  even  able  to  come  to 
the  wedding.  I  was  disappointed,  too,  as  Mohunsleigh 
had  told  us  such  romantic  things  about  his  friend,  that  we 
all  wanted  to  see  him.  Mr.  Harborough  had  been  a  sailor, 
and  a  cowboy,  and  had  left  everything  to  fight  in  the  Span 
ish  war,  where  he'd  done  brave  and  splendid  things, 
and  might  have  stayed  in  the  army  afterwards  as  a  Cap 
tain,  if  he  had  liked.  But  he  preferred  to  go  back  to  his 


ABOUT    A    WEDDING  203 

old,  free  life,  and  was  still  a  poor  young  man  until  two  or 
three  years  ago,  when  some  land  in  which  he'd  invested  a 
few  savings,  turned  out  to  have  gold  in  it — quantities  of 
gold,  gold  enough  to  make  a  famous  mine,  and  give  Mr. 
Harborough  a  great  fortune.  Sally  knew  a  good  deal 
about  the  new  millionaire,  too.  It  seemed  that  cousins  of 
his  in  the  West  somewhere  were  acquaintances  of  hers,  and 
had  told  her  how  immensely  he  had  been  sought  out  and 
flattered  in  San  Francisco  and  other  places,  since  he'd  be 
come  rich.  He  hated  it  so  much  that  he'd  gone  abroad  and 
stopped  a  long  time  wandering  about  in  strange  Eastern 
countries  making  friends  with  Bedouins  and  people  like 
that,  who  love  horses  better  than  money,  and  on  account  of 
certain  experiences  with  women,  he'd  got  almost  a  morbid 
horror  of  falling  in  love  with  some  girl  who  would  only  pre 
tend  to  like  him,  while  in  reality,  all  she  cared  about  was 
his  money.  Nobody  in  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  set  knew  Jameson 
B.  Harborough,  though  everybody  would  like  to,  so  it  was 
a  blow  to  others  beside  Mohunsleigh  and  me  that  he  couldn't 
or  wouldn't  show  himself  at  Newport  for  the  wedding. 

With  the  exception  of  this  one  hitch,  nothing  went  wrong 
so  far  as  the  wedding  party  was  concerned,  but  with  me 
things  began  to  go  very  wrong  several  days  before  Caro 
and  Mohunsleigh  were  married.  There  was  a  fuss  of  some 
sort  between  Sally  and  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  and  Sally  came  to 
me,  very  much  upset,  to  say  that  she  would  have  to  leave 
The  Moorings  immediately,  she  couldn't  stand  it  twenty- 
four  hours  longer,  even  for  my  sake.  She  had  promised 
to  visit  a  friend  in  Chicago,  sooner  or  later,  so  she  would 
go  straight  to  her,  and  if  anything  too  tiresome  should 
happen  before  I  was  ready  to  sail  for  home,  I  had  better 
run  out  there ; — the  friend  would  be  delighted  to  have  me. 
Sally  gave  me  the  address,  and  I  told  her  I  would  write 
often,  but  of  course  I  didn't  dream  of  having  to  accept  her 


204    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

invitation.  I  missed  her  badly,  but  not  as  much  as  if  the 
wedding  had  not  been  so  near. 

Poor  old  Mohunsleigh — who  knows  more  about  the  man 
ners  of  polar  bears  than  etiquette  in  American  society, — 
was  coached  by  Potter ;  and  the  night  before  the  wedding 
rehearsal  reluctantly  gave  an  elaborate  dinner  to  his  best 
man,  (an  officer  in  Stan's  regiment  who  happened  to  turn 
up)  and  the  six  ushers.  The  same  day  Carolyn  had  her 
Matron  of  Honour  and  the  bridesmaids  to  lunch,  and  we 
did  have  fun  talking  over  things.  I  should  have  thought 
a  luncheon  with  all  girls  and  no  men  might  have  been  a 
little  tame,  and  perhaps  it  would  in  England,  but  in  Amer 
ica  girls  are  not  at  all  shy.  They  say  just  as  funny  things 
as  men,  and  take  the  most  beautiful  pains  to  amuse  each 
other,  so  that  it's  impossible  to  be  bored,  and  for  hours  on 
end  you  forget  there  is  such  a  creature  as  Man. 

At  home,  Mohunsleigh  would  have  had  to  give  us  things, 
of  course ;  but  in  America,  it  appears  that  the  bridegroom 
makes  presents  to  the  best  man  and  the  ushers ;  so  it  was 
from  Carolyn  that  I  got  a  duck  of  a  brooch,  like  an  Ameri 
can  flag,  with  stripes  of  diamonds  and  rubies,  and  the  blue 
part  sapphires.  Mohunsleigh  said  that,  as  he  was  awfully 
hard  up,  it  was  bad  luck  for  him  to  have  to  provide  each  of 
the  bridesmaids  with  bouquets  and  chiffon  muffs,  and  he 
could  not  see  at  all  that  it  was  a  pretty  idea  for  every 
thing  they  carried  in  their  hands  to  come  from  the  bride 
groom.  But  as  Sally  had  told  me  that  Carolyn's  father 
had  settled  ten  million  dollars  on  her,  I  don't  think  Mohuns 
leigh  need  have  complained. 

Although  it  was  in  a  house,  the  wedding  was  very  pic 
turesque,  and  the  bride  and  groom  stood  under  a  bell  of 
white  roses  about  as  large  as  Big  Ben. 

I  enjoyed  it  all  immensely,  for  it  was  my  first  time  as 
bridesmaid,  and  I  had  a  lovely  frock  and  hat  (copied  from 


ABOUT    A    WEDDING  205 

an  old  picture)  for  which — when  I  wanted  the  bill — I 
found  Sally  had  paid.  There  was  a  crush  at  the  reception, 
but  it  only  lasted  two  hours.  After  the  bride  and  groom 
had  gone,  with  showers  of  rice  and  satin  slippers,  we  stayed 
and  had  a  dance — just  the  ushers  and  bridesmaids  and  a 
few  young  people,  who  were  intimate  friends  of  Carolyn's. 

It  was  then  that  my  greatest  troubles  began.  On  a  pre 
tence  of  showing  some  wedding  presents  which  he  said  I 
hadn't  seen  because  they  were  in  a  different  room  from  the 
others,  Potter  got  me  alone  and  proposed  again.  This 
time  he  didn't  laugh  and  joke,  as  he  had  before,  so  that  I 
could  take  it  half  in  fun  even  while  it  made  me  uncomfort 
able,  but  was  very  serious  indeed.  When  I  wanted  to  go 
out  he  stood  in  front  of  the  door,  and  wouldn't  let  me  pass ; 
and  his  chin  and  eyes  looked  so  horribly  determined  that 
he  was  more  like  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  than  ever. 

"  My  dear  little  ladyship,"  he  said,  "  you're  not  going 
to  get  away  until  you've  given  me  my  answer." 

"  But  I  have  given  it,"  said  I. 

"  I  don't  call  what  you've  given  me  an  answer,  because 
you  see,  I  want  you  so  much,  and  I've  made  up  my  mind 
so  hard  and  fast  to  have  you,  that  I  shan't  take  '  no '  for 
an  answer." 

"  I  don't  see  how  you  can  help  it,  as  it's  the  only  one  I 
have  to  give,  and  I've  told  you  that  two  dozen  times  at 
least,"  I  said,  beginning  to  feel  irritable,  as  I  always  have 
from  the  first,  whenever  Potter  talked  about  love. 

"  I  know  you  have,  but  that  doesn't  count.  There's  no 
such  word  as  fail  in  the  bright  lexicon  of  my  youth.  Look 
here,  dear  girl,  you  don't  quite  realise  perhaps  what  a  good 
time  I'd  give  you  if  you  married  me.  I've  got  as  much 
money  as  my  sister  has,  and  I'd  do  just  as  you  liked  about 
staying  in  the  army.  You  could  have  a  house  in  New 
York,  and  a  whole,  real  live  castle  in  your  own  country, 


206    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

if  you  liked.  I  wouldn't  care  a  rap  how  much  you  spent 
on  clothes,  and  there  isn't  a  woman  in  America  who's  got 
better  jewels  than  you  should  have — I'd  see  to  that.  Be 
sides,  you  could  do  what  you  chose — for  your  own  people. 
I  couldn't  stint  you ;  I  want  to  be  friends  with  them.  I 
never  talked  like  this  to  you  before,  but  you  see  what  I 
mean;  and  now,  isn't  what  I've  said  any  inducement?  " 

"  I  wouldn't  need  any  such  inducements  if  I  loved  you," 
I  answered.  "  But  I  don't,  and  can't ;  and  somehow  I 
never  have  been  able  to  believe  that  you  really  loved  me." 

"  If  that's  the  trouble,  you  can  make  your  mind  easy. 
I  want  you  badly." 

"  Then  I'm  sorry,  for — I  simply  can't  marry  you.  I 
should  be  miserable,  and  so  would  you." 

"  I'll  risk  that.  You're  too  much  of  an  English  rose 
bud  to  understand  anything  about  love.  What  you  must 
do  is  to  trust  others  who  know  what  you  ought  to  want 
better  than  you  do  yourself.  Your  mother,  for  instance. 
You'd  like  to  please  her — and  your  sister  and  brother, 
wouldn't  you  ?  Well,  they  all  want  you  to  say  '  yes  '  to  me." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  "  I  broke  out. 

"  I  do  know.    You  can  ask  Kath  if  it  isn't  true." 

"  I  don't  want  to  talk  to  her  about  it." 

"  You  needn't,  if  you'll  only  be  a  good  girl  and  do  what 
everybody  expects  you  to  do.  Come  now,  do  say  yes,  and 
let's  be  happy." 

That  did  make  me  furious. 

"  Anyone  would  think  I  was  a  naughty  child,  and  you 
were  some  kind  of  medicine  the  whole  family  was  waiting 
for  me  to  take !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  It's  a  wonder  you  don't 
get  out  your  watch  and  give  me  five  minutes  to  do  it  in." 

His  eyes  began  to  sparkle  with  anger.  I  believe  he 
would  have  liked  to  box  my  ears,  and  I  know  I  could  have 
boxed  his. 


ABOUT    A    WEDDING  207 

"  I  thought  English  girls  were  brought  up  to  be  sen 
sible,"  said  he,  "  and  amiable." 

"  I  can't  help  what  you  thought,"  I  answered,  rudely, 
for  I  was  getting  desperate.  "  You've  no  right  to  keep 
me  here  like  this,  and  it  won't  do  you  a  bit  of  good,  for  if 
you  stand  there  till  we're  both  in  our  second  childhood,  I 
won't  change  my  mind.  You  ought  to  know  that  now,  Mr. 
Parker.  Please  let  me  go." 

He  didn't  move. 

"  If  you  don't,  I'll  scream  at  the  top  of  my  lungs,"  I 
said.  And  he  must  have  seen  that  I  meant  it,  for  he 
flung  open  the  door  with  a  slam  and  I  swept  past  him,  with 
my  nose  in  the  air,  trying  to  look  like  Mother. 

I  didn't  see  him  again  till  it  was  time  to  go  home.  Then 
he  drove  back  with  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  me  to  The  Moorings 
in  the  shut-up  motor  car,  and  didn't  open  his  mouth  once 
on  the  way — which  was  wonderful  for  him,  and  seemed 
somehow  ominous. 

I  had  been  too  angry  and  excited  after  that  scene  of 
ours  to  feel  unhappy,  or  to  worry  much  about  what  might 
come  next,  but  that  drive,  short  as  it  was,  with  Potter 
freezingly  silent,  and  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  alarmingly  polite, 
made  me  feel  that  the  end  had  come.  I  was  sure  she  had 
been  told  by  her  brother  what  an  obstinate,  ungrateful 
girl  I  was,  and  I  had  a  guilty  sinking  of  the  heart,  as  if 
I  really  had  been  both.  There  was  no  Sally  to  protect  me 
now,  no  one  to  advise  me  what  to  do,  and  there  was  a  big 
lump  in  my  throat  as  I  said  good  night  and  went  to  my 
own  room. 

I  hadn't  been  there  long  when  there  came  a  knock  at  the 
door — the  same  determined  kind  of  inexorable  knock  which 
Mother  gives  when  I've  been  found  out  in  something  which 
she  thinks  it  her  duty  to  make  me  sorry  for. 

I'd  locked  the  door,  and  would  have  liked  to  make  some 


208    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

excuse  not  to  open  it ;  but  it  was  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  door,  and 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  room,  just  as  much  as  it  was  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay's  brother  I  had  refused. 

She  sailed  in  all  in  black,  like  an  executioner,  though  of 
course,  executioners  don't  go  down  into  history  wearing 
chiffon  trimmed  with  jet. 

"  My  dear  Betty,"  said  she,  subsiding  into  a  large  arm 
chair,  "  I  want  to  have  a  serious  talk  with  you." 

It  would  have  been  stupid  pretending  not  to  understand, 
so  I  just  looked  at  her,  and  waited. 

"  I  daresay,  you  can  guess  what  it's  about?  "  she  went 
on. 

"  I  suppose  so,"  I  said.  "  I'm  very  sorry  about  every 
thing.  But  I  can't  help  not  being  in  love  with  Mr.  Parker, 
can  I?" 

"  I  should  have  thought,"  said  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  "  that 
your  Mother's  daughter  would  have  attached  very  little 
importance  to  being  in  love.  Apparently  she  hasn't  been 
as  successful  with  you  as  with  Lady  Victoria.  Believe  me, 
Betty,  there's  nothing  in  it — nothing  at  all." 

"In  what?" 

"  In  what  you  call  '  being  in  love.'  A  girl  fancies  a 
man  for  his  eyes,  or  his  dancing,  or  because  he  is  strong, 
and  she  thinks  she's  in  love  with  him,  but  it's  only  a  fancy 
which  passes  before  she's  been  his  wife  for  twelve  months, 
and  she  wonders  what  she  ever  saw  in  him  then.  A  year 
after  you  have  been  married  to  my  brother,  you  will  be  very 
fond  of  him,  and  you  will  be  one  of  the  most  important 
young  women  in  America  as  well  as  in  Europe.  Oh,  my 
dear,  you  will  have  to  take  him.  Your  mother  will  never 
forgive  you,  if  you  don't.  It  was  quite  an  understood  thing 
between  us,  when  she  lent  you  to  me,  that  if  possible  there 
was  to  be  a  match.  Your  beauty  and  name,  and  Potter's 
money.  He's  really  a  very  good  fellow — a  temper,  per- 


ABOUT    A    WEDDING  209 

haps ;  but  I  wouldn't  give  much  for  a  man  without  one,  and 
like  most  Americans,  he'll  make  a  splendid  husband." 

"  For  someone,"  I  murmured. 

"  For  you,  Betty.  I  assure  you,  I  daren't  tell  the 
Duchess  you've  definitely  refused  Potter.  You  must  be 
persuaded.  Be  engaged  to  him;  let  him  follow  you  to 
England." 

"  If  I  did  that,  I  should  find  myself  being  married  off  to 
him  before  I  knew." 

"  Well,  and  if  you  did?  It  would  be  because  you'd 
had  the  chance  to  change  your  mind." 

I  shook  my  head.  "  I  must  go  home  to  England,"  I 
said,  "  but  Mr.  Parker  mustn't  follow  me." 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  face  hardened. 

"  I'm  afraid  if  you  go  home  after  refusing  Potter,  you'll 
have  a  very  poor  welcome,  my  child.  The  Duchess  has  been 
kind  enough  to  take  me  a  little  into  her  confidence.  I 
don't  think  she  would  have  sent  you  over  with  me,  if  she 
hadn't  known  something  about  Potter;  and  your  sister's 
affairs  aren't  arranged  yet.  Oh,  you  needn't  blush,  and 
look  so  indignant.  The  Duchess  didn't  mind  putting  her 
difficulties  in  a  letter,  when  I  wrote  her  you  weren't  behav 
ing  quite  satisfactorily,  and  you  may  take  it  from  me  that 
at  present  things  stand  like  this:  You  must  go  back  an 
engaged  girl  or  else  stay  away  until  Lady  Victoria  is 
married." 

If  Mother  were  different,  I  should  have  hoped  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay  was  exaggerating;  but  as  it  was,  I  believed  her, 
though  I  did  my  best  to  be  high-eyebrowed  and  incredulous, 
till  she  remarked  that  I  could  see  the  Duchess's  letter  if  I 
liked,  though  it  might  be  rather  embarrassing. 

I  was  sure  it  would  be,  and  preferred  to  take  its  contents 
on  faith ;  but  I  was  so  miserable  that  I  had  to  keep  my  eyes 
staring  wide  open  to  prevent  the  tears  dropping  down.  I 


210    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

was  tired,  and  forlorn,  and  homesick — for  Vic  and  Stan, 
and  the  dear  dogs  and  everything  except  Mother — and  I 
felt  such  a  horrible  weakness  creeping  over  me  that  I  could 
even  imagine  myself  by  and  by  doing  what  they  meant  me 
to  do.  I  thought  the  best  thing  was  to  gain  a  respite, 
lest  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  should  drag  some  kind  of  a  concession 
from  me,  which  I  would  have  to  live  up  to,  afterwards. 

"  I  can't  talk  any  more  about  it  now,"  I  said.  "  I 
believe  what  you  say,  but  it  only  makes  it  worse  for  me, 
to  think  that  Mother  should  have  made  what  amounts  to 
a  kind  of  bargain  with  you.  Maybe  by  to-morrow  every 
thing  won't  seem  so  dreadful." 

She  got  up,  with  a  relieved  air.  Perhaps  even  she  hadn't 
been  enjoying  the  conversation. 

"  Of  course  it  won't,"  said  she.  "  It  won't  seem  dread 
ful  at  all.  You've  no  idea  how  happy  we're  all  going  to 
be.  Now,  just  you  sleep  well,  and  dream  sweet  dreams, 
and  you'll  wake  up  feeling  a  different  girl.  Maybe  poor 
Potter  hasn't  been  as  tactful  as  he  might  be ;  that's  be 
cause  he's  too  much  in  love  to  be  clever.  But  he  has  a 
lovely  surprise  for  you  to-morrow.  Something  connected 
with  a  certain  finger  of  your  left  hand.  I  promise  you 
that  you'll  like  it ;  and  now  I'm  going  to  leave  you  in  peace 
for  the  night."  I  can't  tell  what  savage  deed  I  mightn't 
have  been  capable  of  doing  if  she  had  had  the  idea  of  kiss 
ing  me;  but  she  hadn't.  She  merely  patted  me  on  the 
shoulder,  and  went  out,  leaving  me  to  stare  aimlessly  at 
the  door  after  she  had  softly  closed  it. 


XIII 
ABOUT    RUNNING    AWAY 

I  DON'T  know  how  long  it  was  before  the  thought 
came  to  me  that  I  would  take  Vivace  and  a  handbag 
and  run  away  to  Sally;  but  anyway  it  was  before 
it  had  occurred  to  me  to  sit  down. 

Sally  said  before  she  went  away  that  I  was  to  go  to  her 
if  I  felt  like  it,  and  Sally  always  means  what  she  says. 
Now  I  felt  like  it  so  much  that  it  seemed  suddenly  the  only 
possible  thing  to  do,  so  all  I  had  to  decide  was  the  best 
way  and  the  best  time  to  do  it. 

As  for  the  time,  if  I  didn't  escape  before  Mrs.  Ess  Kay 
and  Potter  formed  a  hollow  square  round  me  to  pour  their 
volleys  into  my  heart  in  the  morning,  all  that  was  pro 
phetic  in  my  soul  said  I  would  never  escape,  but  would 
suffer  great  confusion  and  rout. 

As  for  the  way,  it  was  more  difficult  to  make  up  my 
mind,  but  the  first  thing  was  to  see  how  much  money  I  had 
in  my  exchequer — which  happened  to  be  a  gold  purse 
Sally  had  given  me. 

I  hadn't  spent  much,  and  since  coming  over,  dear  old 
Stan  had  sent  me  another  fifteen  pounds,  which  he  wrote 
was  part  of  one  night's  winnings  at  bridge — unusual  for 
him,  if  it's  true,  as  Vic  thinks  that  he  continually  loses. 
Altogether,  I  had  nearly  thirty  pounds  in  hand,  which 
seemed  a  lot,  only  I  didn't  know  at  all  how  much  it  would 
cost  for  Vivace  and  me  to  reach  Sally  in  Chicago ;  and  I 
couldn't  tell  until  I  had  got  irrevocably  away  from  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay  and  The  Moorings. 

211 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

By  this  time  it  was  nearly  two  o'clock,  and  in  a  couple 
of  hours  it  would  be  light.  I  must  sneak  out  of  the  house 
with  a  dressing  bag  before  any  of  the  servants  were 
stirring,  and  meanwhile  I  must  pack  up  all  my  belong 
ings  except  such  things  as  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  had  given  me 
— so  that  I  could  write  and  have  my  boxes  sent  on  by 
and  by. 

As  soon  as  I  had  realised  that  there  wasn't  a  minute  to 
throw  away,  the  worst  was  over,  for  I  didn't  stop  to  grizzle. 
I  finished  getting  out  of  my  bridesmaid's  dress  in  which  I 
had  danced  so  gaily  a  little  while  ago,  dashed  a  thin  frock, 
a  dressing  gown  and  a  few  others  things  into  my  fitted 
dressing  bag  (which  was  almost  too  heavy  to  carry,  but  not 
quite),  and  then  stuffed  everything  else,  except  a  travelling 
frock,  into  the  boxes  that  were  stored  in  a  huge  wardrobe 
built  into  the  wall. 

I  made  all  the  haste  I  could,  but  I'm  not  clever  at  pack 
ing,  so  I  heard  some  clock  striking  four,  when  I  had  slipped 
on  my  thin  grey  canvas  coat  and  skirt,  and  was  putting  on 
my  hat,  with  cold  hands  that  trembled  so  much  I  could 
hardly  stick  in  the  hat  pins. 

I  had  been  excited  enough  the  day  I  heard  I  was  to  come 
to  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  but  I  was  twice  as  excited  now  when  I 
was  going  to  leave  her.  I  felt  rather  frightened,  still  I 
couldn't  help  smiling  when  I  said  to  myself  how  little  I  had 
thought  when  I  learned  the  great  news  about  America  and 
Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  in  what  circumstances  I  should  part  from 
her. 

Each  step  Vivace  and  I  took  in  the  corridors  and  on  the 
stairs  seemed  to  make  such  an  incredible  noise  in  the  quiet 
house,  that  I  felt  like  a  runaway  elephant  eloping  with  a 
hippopotamus,  but  either  it  wasn't  as  bad  as  I  thought,  or 
everyone  was  lying  charmed  in  a  magic  sleep,  for  we  got 
out  through  a  window  in  the  dining  room,  down  the  veran- 


ABOUT    RUNNING    AWAY  213 

dah  steps  and  across  the  lawn  without  being  stopped,  as  I 
half  expected. 

I  knew  the  way  to  the  railway  station  very  well,  for  I 
had  often  been  there  since  I  arrived  (the  last  time  was  when 
I  saw  Sally  off),  but  the  question  was,  when  would  there 
be  a  train?  And  a  good  deal  depended  on  that  question, 
for  though  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  Potter  might  not  exactly 
have  the  power  to  drag  me  back,  I  wanted  to  get  as  far 
away  from  them  as  I  could  before  they  discovered  that  I 
had  gone. 

I  was  horrified  to  find  when  we  arrived  that — as  the 
Americans  say — there  was  "  nothing  doing,"  not  a  soul  in 
sight,  and  there  I  was,  very  hot  and  hysterical,  with  Vivace 
and  my  dressing  bag  looking  like  an  escaped  burglaress. 
I  had  been  so  nervous  while  I  was  packing,  that  I'd  been 
afraid  of  everything,  even  the  soap  in  the  soap  dish,  which 
had  two  great  blinking  bubbles  at  one  end,  like  a  pair 
of  goblin  eyes  that  watched  me  move,  but  I  was  much 
worse  now,  and  I  could  have  fallen  on  the  neck  of  the  first 
official  person  I  saw  moving  about  the  station  after  I  had 
waited  for  perhaps  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  I  don't  know 
what  he  was,  but  when  I  appealed  to  him  for  news  of  a 
train  for  New  York,  instead  of  calling  the  police  to  give 
Vivace  and  me  in  charge  as  a  dangerous  pair,  he  scratched 
his  head  and  said  there  was  a  milk  train  due  presently,  if 
I  was  mighty  anxious. 

A  milk  train  sounded  innocent  and  suitable  to  a  girl 
travelling  alone,  but  even  if  it  hadn't  I  should  have  been 
thankful  to  go  in  it.  I  couldn't  buy  a  ticket,  it  appeared, 
in  the  ordinary  way ;  but  when  the  milk  train  came  my  man 
introduced  me  to  another.  Perhaps  he  was  a  milkman; 
anyway  he  seemed  to  have  authority,  and  he  said  as  a  fav 
our  Vivace  and  I  could  be  taken.  He  was  a  nice  person, 
and  he  talked  a  great  deal  after  the  train  had  given  several 


214    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

false  starts  and  at  last  had  got  off.  I  sat  on  my  bag,  as 
I  had  on  the  docks,  in  a  bare,  curious  car,  which  really  be 
longed  to  the  milk,  and  sometimes  when  we  bumped  I  should 
have  fallen  on  the  floor  if  it  hadn't  been  for  him.  He  told 
me  all  about  himself,  and  wanted  to  be  told  all  about  me, 
but  I  thought,  nice  as  he  was,  it  would  be  safer  not.  He 
asked  leading  questions  which  it  was  hard  to  keep  from 
answering,  unless  I  hurt  his  feelings ;  but  I  think  he  some 
how  got  the  impression  that  I  was  going  to  see  a  sick  rel 
ative,  though  I  never  exactly  said  so. 

I  don't  know  what  time  I  should  have  got  to  New  York 
if  I  had  had  to  travel  all  the  way  with  the  milk,  for  milk  it 
seems  objects  to  speed ;  but  after  we  had  jogged  along  for  a 
couple  of  hours,  we  crawled  into  a  station  where  a  real 
train  was  ready  to  start.  There  were  just  five  minutes  to 
say  farewell  to  my  friend,  and  buy  a  ticket,  when  all 
flushed  and  panting,  I  found  myself  and  Vivace  and  the 
bag,  in  a  car  different  from  any  I  had  seen  yet.  It  had  no 
nice  easy  chairs  and  plate  glass  mirrors  and  wire  nettings 
in  the  windows,  like  the  one  in  which  I'd  travelled  to  New 
port,  but  there  were  two  rows  of  seats,  and  when  the  train 
moved  a  cloud  of  coal  smoke  poured  in  through  the  door  at 
the  front  end.  Babies  squalled,  children  whined,  and  their 
faces  grew  black  and  damp  with  mingled  dirt  and  heat 
while  grown-up  people  scolded;  but  a  dear  old  lady  got 
into  my  seat  before  long,  and  just  because  I  helped  her 
with  a  band-box,  she  made  me  a  present  of  a  huge  peach. 
I  was  thankful  to  have  it,  for  by  this  time  I  was  collapsing 
with  hunger,  having  been  up  all  night  without  anything 
to  eat. 

The  peach  made  me  think  of  Mr.  Brett,  and  the  little 
basket  he  had  sent  me  on  the  docks.  Then  this  thought 
suggested  another.  He  had  said  he  would  do  anything  for 
me  that  was  in  his  power,  and  if  he  were  still  in  New  York, 


ABOUT    RUNNING    AWAY  215 

it  was  in  his  power  to  help  me  a  good  deal.  He  could  tell 
me  how  much  it  would  cost  to  go  to  Chicago,  and  he  could 
show  me  how  to  get  there. 

I  really  believe  that  at  first  I  hadn't  had  a  thought  of 
seeing  him,  but  once  it  had  got  into  my  head,  I  welcomed 
it,  begged  it  to  sit  down  and  make  itself  at  home. 

I  could  have  clapped  my  hands  with  j  oy  when  I  saw  the 
Grand  Central  Station  and  the  delightful  cafe  au  lait 
porters  with  their  red  caps.  It  looked  as  familiar  and 
comforting  as  if  I'd  passed  through  a  hundred  times  in 
stead  of  once,  and  I  had  the  nice  feeling  that  now  some 
thing  pleasant  was  sure  to  happen,  which  one  has  when 
one  first  arrives  in  Paris. 

Vivace  brightened  up,  too,  and  he  took  me  out,  rather 
than  I  him.  I  was  in  such  a  hurry  to  get  away,  for  fear 
Potter  might  have  come  after  me  by  a  quick  train,  and  be 
looking  somewhere,  that  I  flew  along  with  my  bag  and 
Vivace,  without  waiting  for  a  porter.  I  followed  other 
people  out  of  the  station,  with  the  intention  of  finding  a 
cab  and  driving  to  the  Club  where  Mr.  Brett  was  employed ; 
but  though  there  were  dozens  of  hansoms  drawn  up  by  the 
pavement,  they  had  the  air  of  being  private  ones.  It  did 
seem  queer  that  so  many  people  should  have  private  han 
soms  waiting  for  them  at  this  particular  hour  (it  was  half 
past  twelve)  but  the  drivers  with  their  tall  shiny  hats, 
smart  coats  and  bright,  clever  faces,  the  glitter  of  the 
harness,  the  newness  of  the  cab  linings  and  appointments 
all  forbade  any  other  thought.  I  wandered  wistfully  along 
the  line,  wondering  if  there  were  no  public  conveyances  of 
any  kind  at  the  Grand  Central,  besides  the  trams  which 
were  as  appalling  as  a  procession  of  African  lions.  When 
I  came  to  the  end  I  caught  the  eye  of  a  well-groomed  young 
man  in  a  pale  gray  top  coat,  looking  down  from  his  high 
seat  at  the  back  of  a  dark  green  hansom  with  great  round 


216    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

portholes  knocked  in  the  sides,  and  it  struck  me  that  there 
was  pity  kindling  in  his  glance.  I  snatched  at  the  ray  as 
if  it  had  been  that  everlasting  straw  which  always  seems 
to  be  bobbing  about  when  an  author  is  drowning  one  of  his 
characters. 

"  Do  you  think  there  is  anybody  who  could  drive  me?  " 
I  enquired,  meekly. 

"  You  bet,  Miss,"  said  he.  "  I'm  engaged  myself,  or 
I'd  be  only  too  pleased,  but  you  just  speak  to  that  other 
gentleman  there," — with  an  encouraging  jerk  of  his  sleek 
head  towards  the  next  vehicle.  "  He'll  take  you  anywhere 
you  want  to  go." 

"  Are  you  sure  it  isn't  a  private  hansom  ?  "  I  breathed 
up  to  him  in  a  low,  confidential  voice,  for  the  cab  he  indi 
cated  was  even  finer  than  his,  and  Stan  doesn't  look  as 
smart  on  his  coach  on  a  Coaching  Parade  day  in  the  Park, 
as  did  the  gentleman  I  was  recommended  to  address. 

"  Sure  pop,"  said  my  friend,  grinning,  but  not  in  a  way 
to  hurt  my  feelings ;  so  I  thanked  him,  and  we  both  bowed 
very  politely;  and  the  new  man,  who  had  heard  after  all, 
said  that  none  of  the  hansoms  were  private ;  anybody  might 
have  them  who  could  pay;  but  I  needn't  be  afraid,  he 
wouldn't  charge  me  too  much. 

When  he  asked  where  I  wanted  to  go,  after  all  I  hadn't 
the  courage  to  mention  the  Club.  The  only  other  place  I 
could  think  of  was  the  Waldorf-Astoria,  where  Potter  had 
said  any  stranger  who  liked  could  walk  in  and  sit  down. 
I  told  the  man  to  drive  me  there,  so  he  did,  and  only  charged 
me  fifty  cents,  which  he  hinted  was  a  very  special  price. 
"  We  don't  want  you  English  young  ladies  to  think  bad 
of  us,"  he  explained,  and  I  assured  him  there  was  no  dan 
ger  of  that,  if  I  could  judge  by  myself. 

They  wouldn't  let  me  go  into  the  Turkish  room — which 
I  remembered  very  well — with  Vivace,  so  I  had  to  give  him 


ABOUT    RUNNING    AWAY  217 

up  to  be  fed  and  taken  care  of,  and  I  was  obliged  to  part 
with  my  bag  too.  Then  I  wrote  a  note  to  Mr.  Brett,  just 
a  few  lines,  saying  that  I  was  alone  in  New  York,  in  a  little 
difficulty,  and  remembering  his  kind  offer,  I  ventured  to 
ask  if  he  would  come  to  the  Turkish  Room  at  the  Waldorf- 
Astoria  to  help  me  with  advice. 

A  messenger  took  the  letter — such  an  aggressively  brisk 
child,  I  was  sure  he  wouldn't  waste  a  second  on  the  way — • 
and  as  soon  as  he  had  gone  I  was  beset  with  fears  lest  Mr. 
Brett  should  have  left  New  York,  or  lest,  if  still  in  town, 
he  might  be  surprised  or  shocked  at  my  taking  him  at 
his  word. 

I  was  past  being  hungry  now,  but  my  head  ached  and  I 
felt  dull  and  stupid.  There  was  hardly  anyone  in  the 
Turkish  Room,  for  all  the  world  of  the  Waldorf-Astoria 
was  lunching.  I  sat  watching  the  door,  watching  the 
door,  until  I  seemed  to  have  been  in  that  place  doing  that 
one  thing  and  nothing  else  for  years.  My  eyelids  would 
keep  dropping,  and  my  thoughts  slipping  away  as  if 
they  flowed  past  me  on  a  slow  stream.  I  caught  them 
back  again  and  again,  but  at  last  I  forgot  and  let 
them  go. 

The  next  thing  I  knew  I  was  raising  my  head  with  a  j  erk, 
and  opening  my  eyes  to  look  straight  into  those  of  Mr. 
Brett.  It  was  he,  there  was  no  doubt  of  that,  and  yet  he 
was  different.  In  my  dreamy  state,  I  couldn't  think  how 
for  an  instant,  but  as  I  came  to  myself  I  saw  it  was  all  a 
question  of  dress.  He  had,  perhaps,  been  making  money 
in  journalism,  for  he  was  no  longer  good  looking  in  spite 
of  his  clothes.  He  had  the  most  excellent  grey  flannels,  or 
something  of  the  sort;  just  the  right  kind  of  collar  (I 
know  it  must  be  right,  for  Stan  always  wears  it)  and  a 
waistcoat  Potter  himself  might  have  envied.  I  didn't  ex 
actly  think  of  these  things  then,  but  I  must  have  uncon- 


218    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

sciously  taken  them  all  in,  in  a  flash,  for  I  knew  them 
afterwards. 

By  the  time  the  flash  had  passed  we  were  shaking  hands, 
and  he  was  saying  in  his  nice  voice  how  awfully  sorry  he 
was  to  have  kept  me  waiting.  He  had  been  at  the  Club, 
but  owing  to  a  stupid  mistake  there  had  been  some  delay 
in  his  getting  my  letter. 

I  was  even  more  pleased  to  see  him  than  I  had  thought 
I  was  going  to  be.  I  felt  as  if  I  had  known  him  all  my 
life,  and  he  looked  so  strong  and  handsome,  and  depend 
able,  that  I  couldn't  bear  to  take  my  eyes  off  his  face,  lest 
I  should  wake  up  and  find  him  gone — because  I'd  been 
dreaming  him. 

"  I'll  tell  you  all  about  everything,  if  you'll  sit  down," 
I  said,  but  instead  of  doing  as  I  asked,  he  enquired  with  a 
queer,  worried  expression  on  his  face  whether  I  had  had 
lunch. 

"  No,  nor  breakfast  either,"  I  replied  quite  gaily,  but 
with  a  watery  smile. 

"  Good  heavens,"  said  he,  going  as  red  as  if  I  had  ac 
cused  him  of  snatching  it  from  my  lips.  "  Then  you  must 
have  both  together,  before  you  begin  to  tell  me  anything." 

"  We  might  go  out  and  have  a  sandwich  somewhere,"  I 
suggested. 

"  There's  nothing  the  matter  with  the  Waldorf  sand 
wiches." 

"Except  that  they're  expensive,"  said -I.  "You  must 
remember  you  and  I  aren't  millionaires." 

"  I've  been  doing  pretty  well  lately,"  said  he.  "  I  can 
almost  call  myself  rich.  Please  have  some  lunch,  I  can 
afford  it,  and  if  you  refuse  I'll  know  it's  because " 

I  guessed  what  he  might  be  going  to  say,  so  I  stopped 
him. 

"  Nonsense !  "  I  exclaimed.     "  But  I've  run  away  from 


ABOUT    RUNNING    AWAY  219 

Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox,  and  I  don't  want  to  be  found. 
If  she  or  her  brother  should  have  come  to  New  York,  or 
if  anybody  else " 

"  I've  thought  of  that,"  said  he,  quickly?  "  but  we've  no 
time  to  waste.  You're  starving.  If  you  wouldn't  mind 
my  getting  you  a  private  dining  room,  and  sending  you  in 
some  lunch " 

"  But  I  want  you  to  be  with  me,"  I  insisted. 

He  evidently  hesitated,  but  only  for  a  minute.  I  don't 
think  he's  the  sort  of  man  to  hesitate  long  about  anything. 

"  Very  well,  that's  what  I'd  like  best,  of  course,  if  you 
don't  mind,"  said  he.  "  I'll  go  and  see  to  everything, 
and  be  back  before  you  can  count  sixty,  if  you  do  it 
slowly." 

I  didn't  do  it  at  all,  but  thought  how  thankful  I  was 
that  he  had  come  to  me,  for  I  was  sure  everything  would 
go  right  now. 

In  two  or  three  minutes  he  came  back  to  take  me  into 
a  charming  little  dining  room,  where  there  was  no  danger 
that  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  or  Potter  could  pounce  upon  us,  as 
it  was  for  Mr.  Brett  and  me  alone.  I  shuddered  to  think 
what  it  must  be  costing,  but  his  clothes  were  so  exceed 
ingly  g°°d  I  hoped  he  hadn't  exaggerated  about  the 
luck  that  had  come  to  him. 

Naturally  I  couldn't  tell  the  part  of  my  story  which 
concerned  Potter  Parker;  but  I  said  that  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay  wanted  me  to  do  things  which  I  didn't  think  it 
right  to  do,  and  I  couldn't  stay  in  her  house  even  a  day 
longer. 

"  I  should  like  to  go  home,"  I  went  on,  "  but  I  can't  yet, 
and  the  only  other  thing  is  to  join  Miss  Woodburn 
in  Chicago.  You  remember  Miss  Woodburn,  don't 
you?" 

He  said  he  remembered  her  very  well,  had  read  in  the 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

newspapers  that  she  had  left  Newport  for  Chicago,  and 
thought  it  was  a  wise  idea  of  mine  to  join  her. 

"  I'm  glad  you  think  that,"  said  I,  "  for  I  want  to  start 
to-day;  and  I  hope  you'll  tell  me  how  to  go,  how  much 
money  it  will  be,  how  long  it  takes  to  get  there,  and  all 
about  it." 

He  didn't  answer  for  a  minute,  but  sat  looking  very 
grave,  staring  at  his  brown  hand  on  the  white  tablecloth, 
as  if  he'd  never  seen  it  before.  Then  he  said: 

"  Curiously  enough,  I  am  going  West  this  afternoon  too. 
Would  you  object  to  my  being  in  the  same  train?  I 
wouldn't  suggest  such  a  thing,  only  you  see  as  you're  a 
stranger  in  the  country,  I  might  be  able  to  help  you  a 
little." 

"  How  splendid ! "  I  exclaimed.  "  It  seems  almost  too 
good  to  be  true.  You  can't  fancy  what  a  relief  it  is  to 
my  mind." 

He  looked  pleased  at  that,  and  said  I  was  very  kind, 
though  I  should  have  thought  it  was  the  other  way  round. 

"  I'll  get  your  ticket  then,"  he  went  on.  "  If  you'll 
give  me  twenty-five  dollars — five  pounds,  you  know — I'll 
hand  you  back  the  change;  but  I'm  afraid  it  won't  be 
much." 

"  Change?  "  I  echoed.  "Why,  I  supposed  it  would  be 
ever  so  much  more  than  five  pounds  to  get  to  Chicago, 
which  is  almost  in  Central  America,  isn't  it?  " 

"  The  people  who  live  there  think  it's  central,"  said  Mr. 
Brett.  "  But  they  make  the  railroad  men  keep  prices 
down,  so  that  dissatisfied  New  Yorkers  can  afford  to  go 
and  live  there.  It  isn't  a  bad  journey,  you'll  find.  I  think 
it  will  interest  you.  You  sleep  and  eat  in  the  train,  you 
know." 

"  What  fun !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  I've  never  slept  in  a 
train,  even  on  the  Continent," 


ABOUT    RUNNING    AWAY 

"  If  you  had,  it  would  be  different  from  this  one,"  said 
he.  "  Can  you  be  ready  in  twenty-five  minutes  ?  The 
train  which  we  call  the  Twentieth  Century,  starts  at  2.45." 

"  I'm  ready  now,"  said  I.  "  The  sooner  we're  on  the 
way  the  better.  But  oh,  about  Vivace.  Will  they  allow 
him  to  sleep  and  eat  too?  " 

"  I  expect  I  can  arrange  that,"  Mr.  Brett  answered, 
in  such  a  confident  way  that  I  felt  sure  he  could  do  it, 
or  anything  else  he  set  out  to  do.  It  really  was  lucky  for 
me  that  he  happened  to  be  travelling  West  that  same  day, 
and  such  an  extraordinary  coincidence,  too. 

"  Are  you  going  on  journalistic  business?  "  I  asked. 

"  No,  it's  business  I'm  undertaking  for  a  friend,"  he 
explained.  "  But  I  hope  to  get  something  good  for  my 
self  out  of  it  in  the  end." 

"  Oh,  I  do  hope  you  will,"  I  replied.  "  I'm  sure  you 
deserve  to." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't,"  said  he,  laughing.  "  But  I  shall 
try  hard  for  it,  all  the  same.  You  know,  you  told  me  to 
be  ambitious." 

"  I  know  I  did,"  I  answered. 

A  moment  later  he  said  that  he  must  hurry  off  and 
attend  to  the  tickets,  and  I  had  only  time  to  glance 
through  some  papers  the  waiter  brought  me,  with  columns 
full  of  Mohunsleigh's  marriage,  when  he  was  back  again 
with  a  cab. 

While  I  read  an  account  of  the  wedding,  and  gushing 
paragraphs  about  me,  I  wondered  if  there  mightn't  be 
things  not  so  flattering  in  the  same  papers  to-morrow. 

"If  it  got  out  that  I  had  run  away,  would  there  be  a 
scandal?  "  I  asked  Mr.  Brett  in  the  cab.  But  he  said  that 
I  needn't  be  afraid ;  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  was  much  too 
clever  a  woman  to  let  anything  she  wouldn't  like  get  into 
the  papers.  She  would  send  a  paragraph  to  the  effect 


222    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

that  Lady  Betty  Bulkeley  had  been  suddenly  called  home 
or  had  gone  to  visit  other  friends,  or  something  of  that 
sort.  "  But  she  will  almost  certainly  cable  to  your 
people,"  he  went  on. 

"  Yes,  but  she  won't  know  where  I've  gone  till  after 
wards,  and  anyhow,  they  can't  object  to  my  being  with 
Miss  Woodburn,"  I  answered  him. 

"  You  don't  think  they'll  send  for  you  to  come  home 
at  once?  " 

I  shook  my  head.  "  They  won't  do  that.  They  don't 
want — that  is,  they  think  it  wiser  for  me  to  stop  on  this 
side  longer,  now  I'm  here." 

"  I'm  very  glad  of  that,"  said  Mr.  Brett  and  he  looked 
at  me  as  if  he  really  were  glad,  in  spite  of  all  the  trouble 
I'd  made  him. 


XIV 

ABOUT  THE  TWENTIETH  CENTURY  LIMITED 
AND    CHICAGO 

THE  train  for  Chicago  is  perfectly  wonderful,  not 
like  an  ordinary,  human  kind  of  train  at  all.    I'm 
in  it  now,  and  have  been  writing  everything  about 
the  wedding  and  what  happened  afterwards,  be 
cause  I  have  a  whole  room  of  my  own,  and  I'm  much  too 
excited  to  sleep. 

There's  a  bed  in  the  room — not  a  hard  shelf,  but  quite 
a  wide,  springy  bed,  with  electric  light  close  by  the  pillow ; 
there  are  walls  made  of  mirrors ;  there's  a  sofa,  a  washhand- 
stand,  and  a  palm-leaf  fan ;  there's  netting  in  the  window 
so  that  you  can  have  it  open  without  getting  black;  and 
there  would  be  plenty  of  places  to  put  my  things  if  I'd 
brought  three  times  as  many.  But  better  than  anything 
else,  there's  a  soft,  sweet,  brown  maid  who  goes  with  the 
room  and  isn't  an  extra.  She's  the  same  brown  as  the 
porters,  only  paler  than  most,  and  the  train  wasn't  ten 
minutes  outside  New  York  when  she  appeared,  to  ask  what 
she  could  do  for  me.  There  was  nothing  at  the  time,  but 
she  didn't  go  away.  She  looked  about  for  a  minute,  then 
pouncing  on  the  palm  leaf  she  began  to  fan  me,  slowly  and 
gracefully,  not  holding  on  by  anything,  though  the  train 
was  hurling  itself  through  the  State  of  New  York  ap 
parently  with  the  speed  in  which  light  travels  round  the 
world.  (I  never  could  remember  how  many  times  it  can 
do  the  whole  distance  in  a  minute,  but  whatever  it  is,  it  has 
the  air  of  being  a  boast.) 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

I  thanked  her  a  good  deal,  and  said  I  wouldn't  trouble 
her  any  more,  though  it  was  very  nice;  but  she  kept 
straight  on,  like  a  mechanical  doll,  until  I  felt  that  in 
common  humanity  I  ought  to  fan  her.  If  anyone  in  Eng 
land,  especially  anyone  in  her  position  (only  there  aren't 
such  positions)  had  asked  half  as  many  questions  as  she 
did,  people  would  be  extremely  surprised  and  offended ;  but 
I  would  defy  even  the  Grossest  person  to  be  offended  with 
this  soft  brown  thing.  It  would  have  been  too  ungrateful 
not  to  answer  her  nicely  when  she  was  keeping  my  flies  at 
bay  with  extreme  inconvenience  to  herself,  so  I  admitted 
that  I  was  English,  told  what  county  I  came  from,  how 
long  I'd  been  in  the  States,  where  I'd  been  staying,  how  I 
liked  America,  where  I  was  going  now,  and  ended  up  by 
satisfying  her  as  to  my  age  and  whether  I  had  a  mother. 
I  also  stated  that  I  was  neither  married  nor  engaged.  The 
dear  creature  rewarded  me  for. all  this  by  telling  me  a 
great  deal  about  herself  and  her  relatives,  and  a  church 
picnic  she  attended  last  Sunday,  where  there  were  more 
young  gentlemen  than  ladies — "  which  always  makes 
parties  so  nice  for  us  girls." 

"  I  must  say  that's  a  mighty  pretty  hat  you've  got," 
said  she  at  last.  "  I  reckon  it  came  from  England.  And  my, 
but  that  is  a  sweet  waist.  I'd  give  my  life  for  that  waist." 

If  I  had  had  a  twin  sister  of  the  sweet  waist  with  me, 
I  couldn't  have  resisted  pressing  it  upon  her,  and  I  don't 
believe  she  would  have  refused. 

As  soon  as  Mr.  Brett  got  me  nicely  settled  in  my  room, 
he  said  we  wouldn't  meet  again  during  the  journey.  I 
was  sorry  and  wanted  to  know  why,  so  he  explained  that 
his  ticket  was  different  from  mine.  I  hope  that  is  the 
only  reason,  really,  and  that  it  isn't  because  he  thinks  he 
ought  not  to  be  travelling  with  me.  I  suppose  he  is  going 
second  class. 


ABOUT    THE    TWENTIETH    CENTURY 

I  did  miss  him  at  dinner,  which  I  had  in  a  grand  restau 
rant  car,  about  half  a  mile  away  from  me  in  the  train.  It 
was  fun  being  there,  seeing  all  the  people,  and  being 
served  by  fascinating  black  waiters,  but  it  would  have  been 
more  fun  with  him.  I  longed  to  exclaim  to  Mr.  Brett 
about  the  glorious  sunset  which  marched  with  us  along  the 
Hudson  River  for  an  enchanted  hour,  and  I  couldn't  half 
enjoy  it  for  wondering  every  minute,  as  it  changed  from 
one  beauty  to  another,  whether  he  were  watching  too. 

We  have  tenderly  radiant  sunsets  at  home,  which  I  love; 
but  they're  not  startlingly  magnificent  as  in  America,  where 
all  things — even  cloud  effects — are  managed  on  such  a 
sensational  scale.  I  saw  some  skies  to  remember,  in  New 
port,  though  never  one  like  this ;  but  perhaps  the  magical 
charm  of  it  was  partly  dependent  on  the  gleaming  river. 

When  the  daylight  blue  had  faded,  there  was  a  kind  of 
dusky  lull.  Then,  as  if  flames  leaped  up  out  of  the  clear 
water,  river  and  mountains  and  sky  ran  gold,  reddening 
slowly  till  the  colour  burned  deep  and  vivid  as  the  heart 
of  a  rose.  From  crimson  was  born  violet,  soft  blue-violet 
that  hung  like  a  robe  over  the  mountains,  while  the  living 
azure  of  the  river  was  slashed  with  silver ;  and  as  one  gazed 
and  gazed,  afraid  to  turn  away,  there  broke  a  sudden 
flood  of  amethyst  light  out  of  the  floating  haze.  It  was 
dazzling  for  a  moment,  but  before  one  realised  the  change 
the  brilliance  had  been  drunk  up  by  purple  shadows.  The 
outline  of  trees  and  foot-hills  melted  into  the  pansy  gloom, 
and  at  last,  with  one  dying  quiver  of  light  all  warmth  of 
colour  was  blotted  out.  Water  and  sky  paled  to  a  pen 
sive  grey-blue,  and  as  the  French  say,  "  it  made  night." 

There  was  a  tremendous  menu  for  dinner,  such  as  we 
used  to  have  for  breakfast  on  shipboard,  and  droves  of 
things  whose  names  I'd  never  heard  before.  Just  for 
curiosity,  I  ordered  several  of  the  strangest,  and  some  of 


226    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

them  were  a  great  success.  For  instance,  there  was  "  suc 
cotash,"  which  sounds  as  if  it  might  be  a  guttural  insult 
flung  at  the  mouth  of  one  Red  Indian  Brave  by  another; 
but  when  it  was  (figuratively  speaking)  flung  at  mine  by  a 
black  waiter,  it  turned  out  to  be  something  more  in  the 
nature  of  a  compliment.  It  looked  like  beryls  mixed  with 
pearls,  though  it  was  really  only  green  beans  stirred  up 
with  American  corn;  and  the  two  got  on  so  well  together 
you  felt  they  had  been  born  for  each  other. 

It's  now  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  it  seems 
as  if  we  must  have  raced  across  half  America,  but  we 
have  a  long,  long  way  to  go  still,  so  says  the  soft  brown 
thing,  who  looked  in  on  me  about  an  hour  ago  to  ask  in 
a  casual  way  whether,  if  she  should  go  to  Europe  to  live, 
she  might  not  be  taken  for  an  Italian? 

When  I  was  a  little  girl,  and  my  nurse  used  to  make 
up  tales  to  put  me  to  sleep  at  night,  I  would  sometimes  get 
impatient  and  tell  her  to  "  go  down  into  the  story  and  find 
out  what  happened  next."  Just  now,  I  feel  as  if  that  is 
what  I  should  like  to  do  in  my  future. 


XV 
ABOUT   SEEING    CHICAGO 

THE  first  face  I  saw  on  the  platform  when  we 
arrived  in  Chicago  was  Mr.  Brett's.  He  was  wait 
ing  to  help  me,  and  looked  as  fresh  as  if  he  hadn't 
spent  eighteen  hours  in  the  train.  He  said  I 
looked  fresh,  too;  but  if  I  did  it  must  have  been  excite 
ment,  as  I'd  written  half  the  night  and  dreamed  desperately 
the  other  half,  about  Potter  Parker — dressed  like  one  of 
those  Red  Indians  they  have  for  cigar  signs  in  New  York 
— pursuing  me  with  a  jewelled  tomahawk. 

Mr.  Brett  had  insisted  on  my  telegraphing  to  Sally 
before  we  left  New  York,  to  say  I  was  coming,  and  asking 
her  to  meet  the  train,  therefore,  we  were  surprised  not  to 
find  her  at  the  station.  I  was  rather  anxious,  and  so  I 
could  see  was  Mr.  Brett.  He  thought  he  had  better  not 
drive  in  a  cab  with  me  to  the  friend's  house  where  she  was 
staying,  but  he  told  me  the  name  of  a  hotel  where  he  would 
go  at  once,  and  made  me  promise  that  I  would  send  him 
a  line  by  the  cabman  to  say  whether  everything  was  well 
with  me. 

"  Miss  Woodburn  probably  has  a  headache,  or  perhaps 
is  out  of  town  for  the  day,"  said  he.  "  It  can't  be  any 
thing  else ;  still,  I  shall  be  a  little  uneasy  till  I  hear.  And 
you  know  I  hold  myself  absolutely  at  your  service." 

"  What  about  your  friend  whose  business  you've  come 
to  attend  to  ?  "  I  asked.  "  I  mustn't  be  so  selfish  as  to 
interfere  with  that,  whatever  happens." 

"  Oh,  I  can  attend  to  both  interests,"  he  assured  me, 

227 


228    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  without  neglecting  either.  I  shan't  need  to  let  one 
interfere  with  the  other.  And  remember,  I  won't  stir  out 
of  my  hotel  till  I've  had  your  note." 

Bereft  of  him,  Chicago  overawed  me,  and  took  my 
breath  away.  It  is  a  good  thing  I  saw  New  York  first, 
for  if  I'd  come  straight  from  England  with  only  memories 
of  peaceful  London  to  support  me  through  the  ordeal,  I 
don't  know  but  it  might  have  affected  my  brain. 

For  one  thing,  there  was  a  high  wind  which  seemed  to 
have  a  fancy  for  making  off  with  your  hat.  It  was  an  ex 
citing  sort  of  wind,  too,  which  played  with  your  nerves; 
but  whether  it  was  that,  or  whether  something  extraordi 
nary  was  happening  just  out  of  sight  round  the  corner 
of  nearly  every  street  we  passed,  and  all  the  people  we 
saw  were  tearing  like  mad  to  the  spot,  I  don't  know,  but 
anyhow  they  seemed  a  good  deal  agitated,  and  there  were 
more  varieties  of  startling  street  noises  even  than  :"n  New 
York.  The  cable  cars  were  like  live,  untamed  things  that 
scorned  to  wait  the  convenience  of  wretched  little  human 
beings.  Such  women  and  girls  as  had  performed  the  feat  of 
clambering  on  board  didn't  dream  for  a  moment  that  the 
creatures  might  be  induced  to  stop  and  let  them  get  down. 
They  simply  hurled  themselves  off  as  they  could,  and  my 
heart  was  in  my  mouth  for  them,  and  for  myself,  many 
times  while  my  cab  mingled  with  the  surging  and  ap 
parently  uncontrolled  traffic. 

It  was  a  long  drive,  though,  and  as  I  had  time  to  calm 
down  I  saw  that  numbers  of  the  huge  buildings  are  nobly 
designed,  and  very  magnificent  in  decoration,  making  a 
splendid  effect  in  spite  of  their  vast  size  rather  than  be 
cause  of  it.  And  such  shops,  too!  They're  like  the  fairy 
palaces  my  nurse  used  to  tell  me  about,  as  big  as  whole 
cities,  where  you  could  get  anything  you  wanted  just  by 
wishing. 


ABOUT    SEEING    CHICAGO 

On  the  way,  I  made  up  my  mind  to  ask  Sally  a  number 
of  questions;  why  they  have  the  curbstones  so  high  in 
Chicago;  why  the  women,  though  dressed  much  the  same 
as  in  New  York,  look  quite  different  and  have  a  style  of 
their  own,  even  in  their  walk;  why  almost  all  the  men  are 
young ;  and  why,  though  there  is  such  a  network  of  trams, 
nearly  everybody  seems  to  need  a  motor  car? 

I  think  American  girls  must  be  braver  than  English 
ones,  for  where  with  us,  if  a  girl  drives  a  motor  she  is  so 
remarkable  that  her  picture  is  at  once  put  in  a  newspaper, 
in  the  States  a  girl  in  a  car,  in  the  midst  of  howling  traffic, 
doesn't  even  have  the  air  of  wanting  to  scream  or  faint, 
but  just  sits  straight  up  and  smiles  with  her  figure  look 
ing  inexpressibly  French;  and  there  are  two  or  three  of 
her  in  every  important  street. 

There  was  a  wonderful  swinging  bridge  which  we  had 
to  wait  for  until  it  chose  to  come  to  us,  like  the  mountain 
to  Mahomet,  and  presently  we  trotted  into  a  beautiful 
Avenue  near  a  startlingly  unexpected  blue  sea  which  I 
thought  must  be  a  mirage,  till  the  cabman  said  it  was 
Lake  Michigan.  But  who  would  have  thought  of  a  lake 
being  like  that?  The  only  ones  I  ever  saw  were  pretty 
little  things  in  parks  where  you  fed  swans. 

At  last  we  stopped  before  a  large,  handsome  house, 
with  a  lawn  round  it  and  no  fence.  The  house  was  stone 
in  front,  but  had  brick  sides  which  gave  it  a  queer  effect, 
yet  somehow  didn't  spoil  it;  and  wherever  there  wasn't  a 
porch,  it  had  broken  out  in  bow  windows. 

I  told  the  cabman  to  wait,  and  then  ran  up  the  four  or 
five  steps  to  ring  the  front  door  bell.  In  a  minute  a  maid 
came  who  would  have  been  very  smart -looking  if  she  had 
only  worn  a  proper  cap. 

"  Is  Miss  Woodburn  stopping  here  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  No,  she  isn't,"  returned  the  young  woman  with  a  glint 


230    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

of  the  eye  which  seemed  to  say,  she  would  perish  sooner 
than  call  anyone  "  Miss,"  and  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  she 
would  have  felled  me  to  the  earth  rather  than  give  me  a 
"  ladyship  "  had  it  been  required  of  her. 

"  Are  you  sure?  "  I  persisted,  my  heart  preparing  for 
a  plunge  bootward. 

"  I  guess  so,"  said  the  girl  with  a  superior  but  not  ill- 
natured  smile.  "  She  was  staying  with  us,  but  she  went 
day  before  yesterday.  I  don't  think  she'll  be  back,  be- 
cause  she's  gone  to  take  care  of  a  friend  who's  real  sick, 
way  back  in  Ohio  somewhere." 

"  Way  back  in  Ohio  somewhere !  "  The  words  were  like 
a  knell  for  all  my  hopes.  I  didn't  know  what  was  to  be 
come  of  me  now. 

"  I  am  sorry,"  I  said.  "  Do  you  know  if  a  telegram 
came  for  Miss  Woodburn  yesterday?  " 

"  Yesindeed,"  replied  the  young  woman,  all  in  one  word, 
but  her  face  brightened.  Suddenly  she  was  looking  at  me 
like  a  long-lost  friend.  "  I  guess  you're  expected.  Mrs. 
Hale,  that's  the  lady  of  the  house  here,  sent  the  telegram 
on,  and  Miss  Woodburn  telegraphed  back  about  you. 
Mrs.  Hale  went  to  meet  your  train,  but  maybe  she  didn't 
recognise  you  or  else  she  got  caught  at  the  bridge.  Any 
how  she  hasn't  come  back  yet.  I  guess  you'd  better  come 
in.  Your  room  is  all  ready  for  you." 

"  My  room?  "  I  stammered. 

"  Why — yes,  of  course.  Mrs.  Hale  expects  you  to  stay 
with  us  till  you're  good  and  ready  to  go  somewhere 
else.  You'll  like  her.  She's  a  nice  lady,  if  I  do  say  it 
myself." 

"  She's  too  kind,"  I  exclaimed.  "  I  never  heard  of  such 
kindness  to  a  stranger." 

"  Oh,  maybe  you  haven't  been  in  America  long,"  said 
the  kind  lady's  servant.  "  I  guess  it  would  be  just  the 


ABOUT    SEEING   CHICAGO  231 

same  in  most  any  house  over  here.  You  come  right  in,  and 
I'll  take  you  up  to  your  room." 

I  hadn't  thought  at  first  I  could  like  that  girl  so  much, 
but  my  heart  warmed  to  her  and  her  mistress,  and  every 
thing  that  was  hers.  Only  I  couldn't  stay.  I  would  have 
to  move  on  somewhere,  like  the  poor  tramps  in  the  Park 
at  home. 

"  I  can't  do  that,  though  I'm  very  grateful  indeed  to 
Mrs.  Hale,"  I  said.  "  I— I  have  other  plans.  I'll  just 
scribble  a  little  note  to  tell  her  so,  and  thank  her,  then  I 
must  go." 

"  She'll  just  never  forgive  me  if  I  let  you,"  protested  the 
young  woman. 

I  began  to  be  a  little  afraid  that  I  might  be  detained 
by  well-meant  force;  but  when  I  had  written  a  letter  to 
Mrs.  Hale,  (squeezing  Vivace  under  one  arm  and  sitting  at 
a  desk  in  a  bright,  charming  drawing-room  where  three 
Persian  cats,  six  Japanese  spaniels  and  a  number  of  birds 
played  about  the  floor)  I  contrived  to  persuade  the  hospit 
able  creature  that  my  immediate  departure  was  practically 
a  matter  of  life  or  death.  Then  I  threaded  my  way  out  of 
the  drawing-room  without  squashing  any  of  the  little  tropi 
cal,  flowerlike  things  that  hopped  about  and — according 
to  the  maid — were  worth  more  than  their  weight  in  gold. 

I  knew  I  should  have  loved  Mrs.  Hale,  for  her  own  sake 
and  Sally's  and  the  happy  family's  in  the  drawing-room, 
but  I  felt  I  must  vanish  before  she  came  home,  or  I  should 
be  saddled  upon  her,  and  she  would  feel  bound  to  keep  me 
indefinitely,  till  Sally  returned  or  I  was  sent  for  like  a 
missing  parcel  by  my  own  people. 

So  instead  of  writing  my  news  to  Mr.  Brett,  I  went  back 
with  it  to  him,  like  a  bad  penny.  He  must  have  been  sur 
prised  when  he  heard  that  a  lady  was  waiting  in  the  draw 
ing-room  of  his  hotel,  and  hurried  in  to  see  me  sitting  there. 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

I  should  have  felt  ready  to  die  if  he  had  looked  bored,  but 
he  didn't  a  bit. 

I  told  him  all  my  adventures,  and  about  the  dogs  and 
cats  and  birds,  and  then  I  asked  what  on  earth  I  should 
do  now.  "  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  go  back  to  New  York," 
I  said  gloomily,  "  and  cable  to  my  brother.  I  could 
stop  at  some  pension  and  wait  till  I  heard- — a  quiet 
pension,  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox  wouldn't  be  likely  to  know 
about." 

"  You  alone  in  a  New  York  boarding  house !  "  exclaimed 
Mr.  Brett.  "Never." 

"  Then  could  you  find  me  a  Chicago  one  ?  " 

"  There'd  be  nothing  to  choose  between.  No,  Lady 
Betty,  but  I  can  suggest  something  better.  Only — I 
don't  know  how  you'll  take  it.  Wouldn't  you  rather  be 
near  Miss  Woodburn  than  anything  else,  until  your  future 
plans  are  settled  ?  " 

"  Of  course,"  said  I,  "  but  that's  impossible  now." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure.  I  think — in  fact  I  know,  where  she 
is.  You  say  Mrs.  Hale's  maid  told  you  she'd  gone  to  Ohio, 
to  take  care  of  a  sick  friend.  I  can  tell  you  where  that 
friend  lives,  and  her  name,  because  I  have  relatives  in  the 
neighbourhood.  I  don't  often  go  there,  but  I've  heard 
from  them  of  Miss  Woodburn's  visits.  My  cousins  have 
a  farm;  and  I  was  wondering  whether  you  could  content 
yourself  boarding  with  them  for  awhile,  so  near  Miss 
Woodburn  you  could  see  her  every  day  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  should  love  it,"  I  cried.  "  But  would  they  have 
me?  " 

"  They  would  be  happy  to  have  you,  I  know.  The  only 
question  is,  would  you  be  happy?  They're  simple  folk, 
with  simple  ways,  such  as  you  would  expect  of  my  people, 
Lady  Betty ;  but  they've  hearts  of  gold." 

"Like  yours,"  I  thought;  but  I  didn't  say  it.     I  said 


ABOUT    SEEING    CHICAGO  233 

instead  that  I  was  fond  of  simple  ways.  And  I  asked 
where  the  place  was,  and  if  it  was  far  off? 

"  It  will  take  us  about  twelve  hours  to  get  there,"  he 
answered. 

"  Us?  "  I  echoed.    "  Why,  you  can't " 

"  I  can  if  you'll  let  me,"  said,  he,  growing  red.  "  I've 
finished  my  business  in  Chicago,  already,  and " 

"  What,  while  I  was  away  ?  " 

"  It  was  a  short  affair,  though  important." 

"  But  I  thought  you  weren't  going  to  leave  the  hotel 
till  I  wrote?" 

"  I  didn't  need  to.  My  friend  came  to  me,  and  we  fixed 
up  everything  between  us  in  a  few  minutes.  Now,  I'm  free 
again ;  and  my  idea  in  any  case  was  to  drop  in  on  my  Ohio 
cousins.  You  see,  twelve  hours'  travelling  is  nothing  to 
us  Americans,  and  they  wouldn't  like  it  if  I  didn't  just  say 
*  how  do  you  do,'  when  I'm  so  near." 

"  Oh,  well,  if  that's  really  true,  and  you  aren't  doing 
it  only  to  help  me,"  said  I,  with  a  sigh  of  relief.  "  I  was 
afraid  you  were.  I  shouldn't  mind  the  journey  a  bit 
if  you  were  with  me;  but  I  do  hope  we'll  have  the  same 
kind  of  ticket  this  time.  Do  get  mine  like  yours,  won't 
you?" 

His  eyes  had  a  beautiful  expression  in  them  as  he 
thanked  me,  and  said  he  would  do  the  best  he  could ;  only 
I  couldn't  exactly  make  it  out.  I  hoped  it  wasn't  pity,  but 
I'm  afraid  it  may  have  been,  as  I  must  have  seemed  rather 
forlorn,  depending  so  entirely  upon  him. 

"  The  best  train  to  take  would  be  this  evening,"  he  went 
on.  "  That  would  give  my  cousins,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Trow- 
bridge,  plenty  of  time  to  get  ready  for  you  too,  for  I'll 
wire  them  that  you're  coming.  But  how  could  you  pass 
the  day?  Would  you — let  me  show  you  the  sights  of 
Chicago?" 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

"  Would  I?  It  would  be  the  best  of  fun.  Oh,  I  am 
glad  I  came,  after  all." 

"  Then  that's  settled.  I'll  send  off  that  telegram  and 
one  or  two  others,  and  come  back  with  an  automobile. 
Don't  look  like  that,  please,  Lady  Betty.  It  isn't  going 
to  cost  me  all  I've  got  to  hire  one.  They're  cheap  here; 
besides  I  know  a  man  who  will  give  me  one  for  the  day,  for 
next  to  nothing.  And  I'll  bring  you  one  of  those  silk 
things  with  talc  windows  to  wear  over  your  head  and  face, 
so  no  one  will  see  that  Lady  Betty  Bulkeley  is  *  doing ' 
Chicago  to-day." 

"  I  don't  know  a  soul  here,"  said  I.  "  And  anyway  I 
wouldn't  be  ashamed.  I  shall  be  doing  no  wrong." 

"  Of  course  not,  or  I  hope  I  wouldn't  have  proposed  it," 
said  Mr.  Brett. 

Then  he  went  away,  and  in  about  half  an  hour  he  was 
back  with  the  promised  motor  hood  and  a  dust  coat,  both 
of  which  he  said  were  thrown  in  with  the  car  for  anyone 
who  hired  it,  if  desired. 

I  was  as  pleased  as  Punch.  As  Caro  Pitchley  said 
when  she  was  engaged,  I  felt  I  was  "  going  to  have  the 
time  of  my  life."  And  it  was  fun.  I  shall  never  forget 
that  day  of  mine  in  Chicago  with  Mr.  Brett,  if  I  live  to  be 
a  hundred. 

The  only  sight  I  did  not  want  to  see  was  the  poor  pigs 
walking  into  a  trough  wagging  their  tails  and  coming  out 
of  another  one  eventually  as  a  string  of  sausages  or  some 
thing.  But  we  didn't  miss  any  of  the  other  sights,  and 
there  were  enough  to  last  us  from  morning  till  evening 
without  stopping  once.  We  bowled  along  wide  boulevards, 
and  saw  Lincoln  Park,  and  the  Midway  and  Jackson 
Park.  We  had  things  to  eat  on  the  lake  shore  near  a  pier, 
and  afterwards  we  had  ice  cream  in  the  old  German  Build 
ing  of  the  World's  Fair.  There  were  some  beautiful  la- 


ABOUT    SEEING   CHICAGO  235 

goons,  and  Mr.  Brett  rowed  me  about  in  a  boat.  I  should 
have  liked  to  stop  there  for  hours,  but  there  were  too  many 
other  things  to  do.  We  had  to  see  Sans  Souci,  a  sort  of 
Chicago  Coney  Island,  which  was  a  tremendous  lark,  with 
Helter  Skelters,  and  Air  Ships,  and  a  Laughing  Gallery 
and  a  trip  to  Hades.  I  wouldn't  miss  anything,  and  Mr. 
Brett  must  have  found  me  a  handful,  I'm  afraid,  though 
I  do  think  he  enjoyed  it  almost  as  much  as  I  did.  Usually 
he  is  rather  grave,  but  before  half  the  day  was  gone  he 
was  like  a  boy.  We  talked  together  as  if  we  had  been 
friends  for  years  and  told  each  other  anecdotes  of  our  past 
lives.  He  didn't  care  about  talking  of  himself,  but  I 
made  him  by  asking  questions,  and  refusing  to  tell  things 
about  myself  unless  he  would.  I  found  it  a  great  deal 
more  interesting  to  listen  to  such  stories  than  to  hear 
about  the  history  of  Chicago,  and  he  has  had  the  most  ex 
traordinarily  interesting  life.  His  mother  died  when  he 
was  a  little  boy,  and  he  had  a  horrid  stepmother  who  was 
so  cruel  that  he  ran  away  from  home  and  had  all  sorts  of 
adventures  at  the  age  when  the  boys  I  know  at  home  would 
be  just  beginning  to  look  forward  to  Eton.  I  had  to  draw 
the  details  from  him,  and  I  felt  so  sorry  for  all  the  poor 
fellow  had  gone  through  that  I  longed  with  my  whole  heart 
to  do  something  to  make  up  to  him  for  his  past  hardships. 
But  I  haven't  thought  of  anything  yet  that  a  girl  could 
do,  which  would  be  really  useful. 

The  best  fun  of  all  was  the  Chinese  restaurant  where  we 
had  dinner.  It's  in  a  queer  street  where  there  are  some 
famous  pawn  shops,  it  seems,  and  I  wanted  to  go  into  them, 
but  Mr.  Brett  wouldn't  take  me.  To  get  to  the  restaurant 
you  go  up  a  long  flight  of  marble  stairs,  with  two  grinning 
Chinese  devil-heads,  like  watch  dogs,  on  the  wall  at  the  top. 

Nothing  could  be  more  modern  and  Western  than  the 
Chicago  surging  and  roaring  outside.  But  as  you  pass 


236    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

the  guardian  devils  and  cross  the  threshold  of  that  restau 
rant  you  turn  your  back  on  the  present  and  find  yourself 
in  the  Far  East.  I  liked  it  better  than  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's 
gorgeous  Aladdin's  Cave,  for  there's  nothing  imitation  or 
stagey  about  this  place.  There's  real  lacquer,  and  real 
silver  and  gold  on  the  strange  partitions;  real  Chinese 
mural  paintings;  real  Chinese  lamps  swinging  from  the 
ceilings;  real  ebony  stools  to  sit  on  at  the  inlaid  octagon 
tables,  and  real  ebony  chopsticks  to  eat  with  if  you  choose, 
instead  of  commonplace  knives  and  forks. 

Of  course  we  did  choose ;  I  would  be  ashamed  to  bow  to 
myself  in  the  looking  glass  if  we  hadn't ;  and  we  pretended 
that  we  were  making  an  actual  tour  in  China  as  we  ate 
strange  yet  delicious  food  such  as  my  wildest  imagination 
could  not  have  conjured.  I  was  a  great  princess,  and 
Mr.  Brett  was  my  Chief  Grand  Marshal.  He  wanted  to 
be  my  courier,  but  I  wouldn't  have  him  for  anything  so 
ignominious.  I  reminded  him  that  I  had  counselled  am 
bition,  and  I  gave  him  for  a  decoration  a  little  steel  and 
paste  button  which  just  then  came  off  my  grey  bolero 
where  it  didn't  show  much.  He  immediately  pinned  it 
under  the  lapel  of  his  coat,  and  looked  suddenly  quite 
solemn  as  he  said  he  would  keep  it  always. 

We  had  Bird's  Nest  Bud-ball  Yet-bean  War;  and 
Shark's  Fin,  Loung-fong  Chea;  and  Duck,  Gold-silver 
Tone  Arp;  eggs  with  Shrimp  Yook;  cake  called  Rose 
Sue;  and  Ting  Moy,  which  was  a  Canton  preserve;  and 
various  other  things  that  I  picked  out  from  the  names  Mr. 
Brett  read  me  from  the  funny  yellow  menu  card.  After 
wards  we  had  Head-loo-hom  tea  in  beautiful  little  cups 
without  handles,  much  prettier  than  those  which  Mother 
keeps  in  a  cabinet  in  the  room  that  smells  of  camphor  from 
Mohunsleigh's  polar  bear.  I  was  horrified  when  the  bill 
came,  to  see  that  it  was  about  half  a  yard  long,  and  that 


ABOUT    SEEING   CHICAGO 

Mr.  Brett  had  to  pay  with  a  number  of  expensive-looking 
greenback  things,  but  he  laughed  when  he  saw  my  fright 
ened  face,  and  said  the  dinner  didn't  really  cost  all  that, 
he  only  wanted  change.  I  begged  him  to  let  me  go  halves 
with  everything,  as  I'd  invited  myself,  in  a  way,  but  he 
told  me  I  didn't  understand  American  customs  yet,  and 
asked  if  I  had  the  heart  to  spoil  the  happiest  day  of  his 
life? 

I  couldn't  resist  telling  him  it  was  the  happiest  of  mine, 
too — that  I  had  never  amused  myself  half  as  well. 

"  Not  even  in  Newport?"  said  he. 

"  Not  even  in  Newport,"  I  repeated.  "  It  was  delight 
ful  there,  and  everybody  was  kind  and  charming  to  me, 
but — you  see  I  had  no  real  friends,  like  you,  to  go  about 
with ;  and  that  makes  che  greatest  difference,  doesn't  it  ?  " 

His  eyes  lit  up  again  at  that,  and  I  could  see  the  blood 
mounting  under  his  brown  skin. 

"  All  the  difference  in  the  world,"  he  answered  in  a  low 
voice.  Then  he  looked  as  if  he  were  going  to  say  some 
thing  else,  but  shut  his  lips  tight  together  and  didn't. 
One  wouldn't  dare  speak  out  the  truth  like  this,  to  a  rich 
man  one  might  be  supposed  to  be  trying  to  marry ;  I  re 
member  enough  of  what  Mother  and  Vic  have  told  me  about 
proper  behaviour  in  a  debutante,  to  know  that.  But  I've 
never  wanted  to  talk  in  such  a  way  to  any  man  except  Mr. 
Brett,  which  is  lucky,  as  he  always  understands  me;  and 
that's  one  reason  why  it's  pleasanter  to  be  with  him  than 
any  other  person  I've  ever  met  yet. 


XVI 
ABOUT  THE  VALLEY  FARM 

A"TER  all,  Mr.  Brett's  ticket  was  different  from 
mine  again,  but  I  suppose  he  couldn't  arrange 
to  have  the  same  kind  and  see  something  of  me  on 
the  journey,  because,  as  I'd  asked  him,  he  would 
have  done  it  if  possible.  We  went  back  part  of  the  way  we 
had  come  the  night  before,  in  the  same  grand  kind  of  train, 
as  far  as  Cleveland,  which  we  reached  in  the  morning, 
quite  early.  We  got  out  there,  for  no  fine  trains  like  that 
stop  at  the  village  near  which  Mr.  Brett's  cousins  live, 
and  he  said  the  best  thing  we  could  do  would  be  to  drive 
to  the  farm  in  a  motor  car.  It  was  about  forty  miles 
away,  but  with  a  good  car  which  he  could  easily  get,  we 
wouldn't  be  more  than  two  hours,  allowing  for  bad  roads. 
If  we  didn't  take  a  motor,  we  should  have  to  wait  half 
the  morning  for  a  slow  train,  and  then  have  a  drive  at  the 
end,  of  six  or  seven  miles  in  some  kind  of  a  country 
conveyance. 

When  I  hesitated,  thinking  of  expense,  Mr.  Brett  ex 
plained  that  among  his  many  other  occupations,  he  had 
once  acted  as  a  chauffeur,  therefore,  knowing  the  tricks 
of  the  trade  and  being  a  sort  of  professional  himself,  he 
could  always  hire  a  motor  at  a  nominal  price.  This  set 
tled  my  doubts.  We  drove  in  a  cab  to  a  hotel,  where 
he  left  me,  with  Vivace,  while  he  went  to  search  for  a  car. 
Presently  he  came  back  with  a  smart  grey  thing  which 
matched  my  clothes ;  and  not  only  was  there  a  grey 
chauffeur  to  go  with  it,  but  a  grey  holland  coat  for  me, 

238 


ABOUT    THE    VALLEY    FARM 

and  a  grey  silk  hood  with  a  lace  curtain.  I  do  think  they 
do  things  well  in  America. 

Mr.  Brett  wanted  to  know  if  I  would  like  a  short  run 
about  Cleveland  before  starting,  so  I  said  yes,  as  I  love 
seeing  new  things ;  and  it  was  beautiful.  I  don't  remem 
ber  learning  Cleveland  on  the  map  of  the  States  when 
I  did  geography,  so  I  hadn't  realised  that  it  could  be 
important.  But  Bournemouth  and  Folkeston  and  Harro- 
gate  rolled  into  one  wouldn't  fill  it,  and  Cleveland  is  a 
great  deal  grander  than  any  of  them.  Even  Bellevue 
Avenue  in  Newport  is  hardly  handsomer  than  Euclid ;  but 
what  an  odd  name  to  give  a  street!  But  to  me  the  names 
of  streets  in  America  don't  sound  as  interesting  and  in 
dividual  as  ours  do. 

I  looked  forward  to  seeing  the  country  between  Cleve 
land  and  Aristo  (which  is  the  name  of  the  town  nearest  to 
the  Valley  Farm)  because  except  for  the  drives  I  had  had 
near  Newport,  I  knew  nothing  at  all  of  the  real  country 
in  America.  I  had  an  idea  that  we  should  pass  some  fine 
country  houses  and  see  a  number  of  pretty  little  nestling 
villages. 

The  name  of  Aristo  was  rather  impressive  and  classi 
cal  sounding,  I  thought,  and  I  had  visions  of  meeting 
on  the  way  pretty  girls  driving  or  riding,  and  good- 
looking,  well-groomed  men  such  as  I  had  met  always  in 
the  country  round  Newport.  But  as  we  went  on  and  on, 
I  was  disappointed.  The  scenery  itself  was  lovely,  rich, 
and  peaceful,  with  groves  of  maple  trees  which  would 
have  been  quite  new  to  me  if  I  hadn't  seen  a  few  in  the 
East ;  but  the  villages  were  blots  rather  than  beauty  spots, 
and  we  saw  only  peasants  and  farm  people. 

Mr.  Brett  was  driving  the  car  with  me  beside  him,  while 
the  chauffeur  sat  behind,  and  I  made  some  such  remark 
to  him  before  I  stopped  to  remember  that  his  relatives 


240    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

were  farm  people.  I  could  have  bitten  my  tongue  then, 
but  he  didn't  seem  to  be  offended. 

"  Outside  the  towns  in  the  West  there  are  few  of  what 
you  would  call  gentlefolk,"  said  he,  with  just  the  faintest 
emphasis  of  good-natured  scorn  for  English  prejudice; 
"  nor  are  there  any  *  country  houses  '  as  you  understand 
the  name  in  England.  Here  people  live  in  the  country  to 
till  the  land  and  to  live  by  tilling  it;  yet  they  don't  call 
themselves  6  peasants,'  either.  It  isn't  that  they're  snob 
bish  and  want  to  seem  to  be  what  they  are  not,  don't  think 
that  for  a  moment.  But  they — well,  I  won't  try  to  de 
scribe  them.  Many  people  from  the  Old  World  would 
never  understand  what  they  really  are,  or  their  point  of 
view;  but  you  will,  Lady  Betty.  You  are  quick,  and 
sympathetic,  and  intelligent;  and  when  I  ask  you  to  de 
fine  for  me  the  difference  between  the  farmers  of  Ohio, 
as  typified  by  my  cousins  and  their  neighbours  in  Sum 
mer  County,  I  shall  be  surprised  if  you  don't  exactly  hit 
the  nail  on  the  head.  They'll  surprise  you  a  little  at 
first,  I  warn  you,  and  for  about  ten  minutes  maybe  you 
won't  know  what  to  make  of  them.  But  I  count  on  you 
to  see  the  point  in  spite  of  all  your  traditions." 

"  What  have  my  traditions  got.  to  do  with  it  ? "  I 
asked. 

"  Wait  and  see." 

I  laughed.  "  Well,  I  only  wish  I  knew  what  my  tradi 
tions  are,"  said  I.  "  I  suppose  I  ought  to  know,  but  I 
don't  think  I  do." 

"  You  may  feel  them  prickling  up  and  down  your  spine 
for  a  bit,  while  you're  getting  used  to  a  new  order  of 
things  at  the  Valley  Farm,"  answered  Mr.  Brett.  "And 
yet  I  don't  know.  I  shall  be  enormously  interested  in 
watching  the  effect  upon  you,  before  I — have  to  say 
good-bye." 


ABOUT    THE    VALLEY    FABM 

I  forgot  everything  else  he  had  been  saying  when  I  heard 
that  last  sentence. 

"Will  you  have  to  say  good-bye  soon?  "  I  asked  in  a 
crestfallen  voice. 

He  didn't  speak  for  a  minute,  perhaps  on  account  of 
a  series  of  bumps  in  the  road  which,  though  so  pretty, 
was  much  worse  for  driving  than  any  I  have  seen  at  home. 
I  don't  believe  Englishmen  would  stand  it.  They  would 
keep  writing  to  The  Times  and  signing  their  letters 
"Motorist,"  or  "Sportsman,"  or  "Mother  of  Ten 
Cyclists,"  till  somebody  was  forced  to  do  something. 

At  last  he  said,  "  To  tell  you  the  truth,  Lady  Betty,  I 
should  like  to  stop  and  pay  my  cousins  a  little  visit,  but — 
I  don't  know  if  I  have  a  right  to." 

"Oh,  why  not?"  I  asked.  "Wouldn't  they  be  de 
lighted  to  keep  you  ?  " 

"Perhaps.     I  hope  so.     But  what  about  you?" 

"  If  it  depended  one  bit  on  me,  you'd  make  a  long 
visit." 

"  Wouldn't  you  really  mind  seeing  me  hanging  around 
— sometimes?  Just  at  meals,  you  know — or  to  take  you 
a  drive  once  in  awhile?  " 

I  looked  at  him  merrily  through  my  talc  window,  for  I 
felt  happy  and  light-hearted,  and  the  world  seemed  such 
a  very  nice  place  to  live  in  at  that  moment. 

"  Do  you  truly  need  to  have  me  answer  that  question  ?  " 
I  asked.  "  If  you  do,  we  can't  be  real  friends  as  I 
thought,  after  all." 

"  You  say  that  because  you  are  kind — too  kind  to  have 
reflected  enough,  perhaps.  An  accident — the  happiest 
accident  in  the  world  for  me — has  given  me  a  chance  to 
see  something  of  you,  Lady  Betty;  but  do  you  under 
stand  that  only  by  an  accident  could  a  rough  fellow  like 
me  have  any  place  at  all  in  your  life,  no  matter  how  small 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

or  temporary?  I  don't  want  to  take  advantage  of  that 
sweet  kindness  of  yours,  which  is  partly  all  your  own, 
and  partly  the  essence  of  your  youth  and  innocence." 

"  Now  you  are  making  me  very  cross,"  said  I.  "  I 
won't  hear  you  talk  so.  You  may  laugh  at  me,  because 
we've  known  each  other  such  a  short  time,  but  really  and 
truly  you  are  the  best  friend  I've  ever  had.  I  wouldn't 
lose  you  for  anyone  or  anything  in  the  world,  and  I  don't 
mean  to,  unless  you  get  tired  of  me — so,  there !  " 

"  Tired  of  you !    Good  heavens,  I  tired  of  you !  " 

"  Very  well,  then,"  said  I  flippantly,  "  so  far  as  I'm 
concerned  you  needn't  say  '  good-bye '  to  the  Valley  Farm 
till  you  feel  the  first  symptoms  coming  on." 

"Lady  Betty,"  remarked  Mr.  Brett,  "I  wonder  if 
there's  another  girl  like  you  in  the  world?  " 

"  According  to  my  Mother,  there  isn't  another  so  vex 
ing,"  I  replied. 

We  both  laughed ;  and  then  he  suddenly  said,  "  Here 
is  Aristo." 

I  stared  about  wildly.     "  Where,  where  ?  "  I  asked. 

He  laughed  a  great  deal  more.  "  Why,  you're  looking 
right  at  the  postoffice  and  the  grocery  and  drygoods 
store." 

Sure  enough,  there  was  a  brown  wooden  building  at 
the  top  of  a  dusty  hill  we  were  just  climbing;  but  there 
was  nothing  else  anywhere,  except  a  clear  brown  creek, 
and  some  sweet-smelling  meadows  with  a  white  horse 
gazing  in  a  bored  way  over  rather  a  queer  fence,  and 
some  cows  asleep  under  a  clump  of  maple  trees  on  our  side 
of  a  young  birch  grove. 

"Where's  the  rest  of  it?"  I  went  on.  "Where  are 
the  other  shops,  and  the  houses,  and  the  people?  " 

"  Oh,  the  other  shops  and  the  houses  aren't  built  yet, 
but  they  may  be  any  time ;  and  then  the  people  will  come. 


ABOUT    THE    VALLEY    FARM 

But  the  fact  that  they  haven't  come  yet  doesn't  prevent 
this  from  being  Aristo.  The  slow  trains  from  Cleveland 
stop  just  behind  that  hill,  several  times  a  day,  which  is 
very  convenient  for  the  farmers  in  the  neighbourhood, 
otherwise  they  would  have  to  go  all  the  way  to  Arcona, 
twelve  miles  away.  But  you  mustn't  think  this  is  the  only 
place  you  will  have  to  do  your  shopping  when  you're  at 
the  Valley  Farm.  Wait  till  you  see  Hermann's  Corners. 
There's  a  great  Emporium  there,  and  you'll  ruffle  the 
feelings  of  half  the  ladies  of  Summer  County  if  you  don't 
fall  in  love  with  it,  and  its  proprietor,  Whit  Walker. 
Promise  you'll  let  me  be  the  first  one  to  introduce  you  to 
both?"  * 

I  promised,  and  wanted  to  be  prepared  for  what  I  must 
expect  to  find ;  but  Mr.  Brett  would  tell  me  nothing.  He 
said  that  neither  the  great  Whit  Walker  nor  Hermann's 
Corners  Emporium  could  possibly  be  described  for  the 
comprehension  of  a  foreigner. 

We  were  in  a  sweet  and  gracious  country  now.  It 
looked  as  if  Mother  Nature  would  never  allow  any  of  her 
children  who  obeyed  her,  to  be  poor  or  unhappy  here.  As 
we  whizzed  along  the  up  and  down  road  between  billow 
ing  meadows  of  grain,  we  could  see  here  and  there  a  farm 
house  showing  between  trees,  or  peering  over  the  brow  of 
a  rounded  hill ;  but  there  was  none  where  I  longed  to  stop 
until  we  came  in  sight  of  a  dear,  old,  red-brick  house — 
really  old,  not  what  some  Americans  call  old.  It  was  set 
back  several  hundred  yards  from  the  road,  and  an  avenue 
of  magnificent  maples — each  one  a  great  green  temple — 
led  up  to  the  comfortable,  rose-draped  porch  which 
sheltered  the  door.  There  was  an  old-fashioned  garden 
on  one  side,  with  a  running  flame  of  hollyhocks  hemming  it 
in ;  the  background  was  a  dark  green  oak  and  maple  grove ; 
and  in  a  clover  meadow  beyond  the  garden  was  a  colony  of 


244    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

beehives.  It  looked  an  ideal,  storybook  place,  and  I  wished 
it  might  be  the  Valley  Farm,  but  thought  such  a  thing 
too  good  to  be  true.  When  one  is  going  to  stop  at  a  house 
one  has  never  seen,  as  Vic  says,  it  usuallyt  turns  out  to 
be  the  one  of  all  others  you  like  least. 

So  I  was  delighted  when  we  turned  in  at  the  open  gate 
with  its  guardian  apple  tree  on  either  side.  We  sailed  up 
the  avenue  under  the  maples,  but  instead  of  making  for 
the  front  entrance,  turned  off  into  a  farm  road  which  led 
round  the  side  of  the  house,  and  the  tooting  of  our  horn 
brought  three  women  smiling  and  waving  to  a  door  under 
a  long,  narrow  verandah  before  we  stopped. 

One  was  a  tall,  thin,  middle-aged  woman,  with  grey- 
brown  hair  pulled  away  from  her  forehead  and  done  in 
a  knob  at  the  back  of  her  head.  Her  skin  was  sunburned ; 
she  wore  a  black  and  white  print  frock,  without  so  much 
as  a  ruffle  or  tuck,  and  her  sleeves  were  rolled  up  over  her 
sun-browned  arms  above  the  elbow;  she  had  no  real  pre 
tensions  to  being  pretty,  and  yet,  somehow,  she  was  one 
of  the  nicest-looking  women  I  ever  saw.  She  had  the  sort 
of  expression  in  her  eyes,  and  in  her  smile,  you  would  like 
your  mother  to  have,  if  you  could  have  had  your  mother 
made  to  order  exactly  according  to  your  own  ideas. 

On  her  right  stood  a  very  pretty  girl  with  a  dazzling 
white  complexion,  all  the  whiter  for  a  gold-powder  of 
freckles ;  black  eyes  rather  deep  set,  dimples,  and  a  quan 
tity  of  curly,  bright-red  hair  wound  in  a  crown  of  braids 
round  her  head.  She  was  in  print,  too,  but  it  was  blue, 
and  very  becoming. 

On  the  tall  woman's  left  was  another  girl,  also  pretty, 
though  in  a  florid  way,  with  great  blue  eyes,  a  full  mouth, 
and  a  mouse-coloured  fringe  down  to  her  eyebrows.  She 
was  more  elaborately  dressed  than  the  others,  with  a  lot 
of  coarse  lace  on  her  blouse,  and  a  pink  skirt.  But  she 


ABOUT    THE    VALLEY    FARM  245 

hadn't  the  look  of  simple  refinement  which  the  first  twov, 
had  in  spite  of  their  plain  clothes  and  rolled-up  sleeves. 
All  three  waved  something  excitedly.     One  had  a  huge 
kitchen  spoon,  another  a  book,  and  the  third  a  towel. 

"  Howdy,  Cousin  Jim ! "  cried  the  nice  woman  with 
the  expression,  as  Mr.  Brett  stopped  the  car  in  front  of 
the  door.  "  We're  mighty  glad  to  see  you  again.  This 
is  the  young  Lady  Bulkeley,  isn't  it?  We're  mighty  glad 
to  see  her,  too,  and  we're  going  to  try  to  make  her  as  happy 
as  we  can." 

"  I  knew  you  would,  Cousin  Fanny,  or  I  wouldn't  have 
brought  her  to  you,"  said  Mr.  Brett,  jumping  out  and 
helping  me  down.  "  But  she's  Lady  Betty." 

"  I  thought  that  would  be  a  little  too  familiar  to  begin 
with,"  said  the  dear  woman,  with  a  perfectly  angelic  smile, 
and  a  pleasant  American  accent  with  rather  more  roll  of 
the  "  r  "  than  I'd  heard  in  the  East.  "  But  you  shall  be 
called  just  what  you  like  best,  my  dear." 

"  Shall  I?  Then  I  should  like  you  to  call  me  Betty," 
said  I,  shaking  hands  hard  with  Mr.  Brett's  Cousin 
Fanny,  and  my  heart  warming  to  her  for  her  own  sake 
as  well  as  his.  There  was  a  good  smell  about  her  of  linen 
dried  on  the  grass  and  of  freshly-baked  cake.  I  can  never 
smell  those  smells,  I  know,  without  remembering  her. 

She  smiled,  and  pressed  my  hand.  "  Why,  you  are  just 
like  an  American  girl,  my  dear,"  she  exclaimed.  "  Not  a 
bit  stiff  and  English  like  we  supposed  you  would  be.  We 
all  thought  we  were  going  to  be  afraid  of  you,  but  I  guess 
we  won't,  will  we,  Patty  and  Ide?  " 

I  saw  that  I  was  expected  to  take  this  as  an  introduc 
tion.  I  smiled  and  bowed  to  the  two  girls,  and  when  they 
put  out  their  hands  I  put  mine  out  too.  They  didn't  lift 
my  hand  up  high  to  shake,  as  people  do  at  home  a  little, 
and  as  they  do  in  New  York  and  Newport  a  great  deal 


246    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

more,  but  just  thumped  it  up  and  down  cordially  in  about 
the  longitude  of  their  waists. 

"  I'm  very  happy  to  know  you,"  said  Patty,  the  pretty, 
red-haired  one. 

"  How  do  you  do  ? "  enquired  Ide,  the  one  with  the 
fringe. 

I  fancied  that  they  must  both  be  Mrs.  Trowbridge's 
daughters,  but  she  continued  the  ceremony  of  presenta 
tion  by  saying: 

"  Patty  is  Miss  Pinkerton ;  and  Ide  is  Miss  Jay.  They 
generally  stay  with  Mr.  Trowbridge  and  me  pretty 
nearly  all  the  year  round.  Patty  takes  music  lessons  in 
Arcona  twice  a  week,  and  keeps  up  her  other  studies,  and 
Ide  helps  me  look  after  the  house  and  the  milk.  I  should 
have  hard  work  to  get  along  without  either  one  of  them, 
it  seems  to  me;  and  I  expect  I  shall  be  feeling  just  the 
same  way  about  you  before  you  leave  us.  Here  comes 
Mr.  Trowbridge,  now.  See,  Cousin  Jim,  here  comes  your 
Cousin  Hezekiah.  He's  been  hiving  a  swarm  of  bees; 
that's  why  he's  got  that  mosquito  net  veil  around  his  hat. 
Something  like  your  automobile  one,  Lady  Betty." 

A  man  of  fifty  or  more,  in  white  duck  trousers  and  a 
bluish  shirt  with  a  turned-down  collar  a  little  open  at  the 
neck,  was  coming  towards  the  house  from  the  direction 
of  the  beehive  colony.  He  had  on  no  coat ;  in  fact,  I  think 
a  grey  linen  thing  hanging  over  a  wooden  rocking-chair 
on  the  verandah  must  have  been  his.  His  battered  straw 
hat,  with  the  "  mosquito-net  veil "  which  Mrs.  Trowbridge 
had  mentioned,  was  on  the  back  of  his  head,  and  when 
he  saw  us,  he  snatched  it  off  and  waved  it  as  his  wife  had 
waved  her  spoon  and  Ide  her  towel.  From  a  distance  he 
looked  just  an  ordinary  farmer,  but  when  he  came  near 
enough  for  me  to  make  out  his  features  I  saw  that  he 
was  very  far  from  ordinary.  He  had  a  splendid  head,  the 


ABOUT    THE    VALLEY    FARM 

head  of  a  statesman,  and  his  face  was  clear  and  intellec 
tual,  with  keen,  kind  eyes.  It  had  a  remarkable  resem 
blance  to  lots  of  pictures  I  had  seen  since  coming  to  the 
States,  of  the  Father  of  his  Country,  General  Washington. 

He  shook  hands,  too,  with  me  and  Mr.  Brett,  but  first 
he  wiped  some  honey  from  his  fingers,  on  the  side  of  his 
trousers.  As  he  did  it,  it  was  a  dignified  and  laudable 
act.  There  was  no  reason  why  he  should  have  been  glad 
to  see  me,  a  perfect  stranger,  but  he  seemed  to  be  so 
honestly  pleased  that  it  warmed  my  heart,  and  made  me 
feel  already  at  home  in  the  sweet,  old,  red-brick  farm 
house,  which  reminded  me,  in  its  soft  colours,  of  a  great 
bunch  of  wall  flowers. 

"  I  reckon  we're  going  to  be  real  good  friends,"  said 
he.  "  If  we'd  known  just  how  you  was  coming,  Jim,  I'd 
have  liked  to  meet  you  and  her  little  ladyship — the  first 
ladyship  we've  had  in  these  parts.  You  didn't  give  us  any 
idea,  though,  and  now  I  see  why.  But  look  here,  Mother, 
you  might  have  had  the  front  door  open.  I'm  afraid  the 
young  lady  from  England  will  think  we're  mighty 
informal." 

"  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  that's  just  about  what  she'll 
like  to  think,  Father,"  said  Mrs.  Trowbridge,  with  her 
smile  that  was  so  motherly  and  friendly  at  the  same  time. 
"  Miss  Woodburn  would  have  been  over  to  see  you  if  she 
could;  she  was  just  ready  to  jump  for  joy  when  Patty 
ran  across  to  tell  her  you  were  coming;  but  Mis'  Randal 
is  pretty  sick,  and  Sally  felt  she  couldn't  leave  her  yet 
awhile.  So  she  sent  you  her  love,  and  she'll  be  along 
the  minute  she  can  git  away." 

Just  for  an  instant  it  struck  me  as  odd  to  hear  this 
simple  farm  woman  in  her  straight  print  calmly  calling 
my  charming,  dainty  friend  "  Sally,"  as  if  there  could  be 
no  shadow  of  doubt  in  anyone's  mind  of  their  perfect 


248    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

social  equality.  But  in  another  second  I  could  have  boxed 
my  own  ears  for  my  denseness  and  snobbish  stupidity. 
Already — even  in  these  few  minutes — I  was  beginning 
faintly  to  understand  some  of  the  "  points  "  at  which  Mr. 
Brett  had  hinted. 

"  Maybe  you'd  like  to  go  and  have  a  look  at  your  room," 
went  on  Mrs.  Trowbridge.  "  Patty  and  Ide  have  picked 
you  some  flowers,  and  I  hope  you'll  find  everything 
right » 

"  Oh,  Mis'  Trowbridge,  do  let  me  take  her,"  exclaimed 
Patty. 

"Me  too!"  cried  Ide. 

"  They're  just  like  children.  I  guess  we'll  have  to 
humour  them  this  once,"  laughed  Mr.  Brett's  Cousin 
Fanny. 

When  I  smiled  at  Patty,  she  cuddled  her  arm  round 
me,  and  then  Ide  promptly  did  the  same.  Thus  inter 
laced,  the  procession  moved  into  the  house. 

The  door  of  the  verandah  opens  into  a  cosy  sitting- 
room.  There  is  nothing  which  you  could  point  out  as 
pretty  in  the  furnishing,  and  decoration  there  is  none ; 
but  the  room  has  a  delicious,  welcoming  look,  and  makes 
you  want  to  live  in  it. 

There  is  the  queerest  carpet  on  the  floor,  with  irregular 
stripes  of  different  colours  mingling  indistinctly  with  the 
grey  groundwork,  and  all  has  faded  into  a  pleasant  in- 
definiteness  of  tint.  There's  a  high-backed  sofa  up 
holstered  with  black  horse-hair,  and  the  springs  have  evi 
dently  been  pressed  by  generations  of  Trowbridges  who 
have  been  born,  and  reared,  and  died  in  the  old  Valley 
Farmhouse.  The  big,  ugly  clock,  too,  with  the  pendulum 
showing  through  a  wreath  of  flowers  on  its  glass  door,  has 
attained  the  dignity  of  age,  and  earned  a  right  to  its 
place  on  the  crowded  mantelpiece  by  ticking  out  the  years 


ABOUT    THE    VALLEY    FARM  249 

for  these  same  generations.  There  are  patchwork  cushions 
and  others  embroidered  with  worsted  and  beads,  on  the 
sofa  and  in  the  great  horse-hair-covered  armchair,  and 
the  two  or  three  hospitable-looking  chairs  with  rockers. 
Curious  shells,  and  wax  flowers  under  a  glass  case,  adorn 
a  carved  wooden  bracket;  and  there  are  family  portraits, 
enlarged  in  crayons  from  old  photographs,  hanging  on 
the  quaintly-papered  wall.  Between-  two  windows  stands 
a  "  secretary  bookcase,"  with  a  propped-up  shelf  spread 
with  writing  materials  and  files  of  paper.  In  the  middle 
of  the  room  is  a  round  table  with  a  homemade  fancy-work 
cover,  scarcely  showing  under  its  great  bowl  of  mixed 
country  flowers,  and  its  neat  piles  of  books  and  magazines. 
As  I  went  in,  the  sun  blinds  were  bowed  for  the  summer 
heat,  and  the  room  was  filled  with  a  cool,  sea-green  light. 

Suddenly  I  thought  of  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  magnificent 
palace  in  New  York,  with  its  fountain  court  and  splendid 
drawing  rooms.  I  saw  her  "  little  cottage  "  at  Newport, 
and  the  other  "  cottages  "  and  castles  I  had  grown  ac 
customed  to  there ;  but  somehow  the  startling  contrast  be 
tween  these  pictures  and  this  only  made  me  more  content 
with  my  present  surroundings. 

"  What  a  nice  room ! "  I  exclaimed  to  the  girls,  paus 
ing  for  a  glance  around. 

They  looked  surprised. 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  "  asked  Patty.  "  We  were  afraid 
maybe  you  wouldn't.  The  things  you're  used  to  must  be 
a  good  deal  handsomer.  Everything's  so  old  here." 

"  I  love  old  things,"  said  I.  "  Our  house  at  home  is 
very  old,  and  I  wouldn't  have  anything  changed  for 
worlds,  even  if  it  were  to  be  made  better." 

"  Why,  that's  kind  of  the  way  /  feel,  too !  "  exclaimed 
Patty,  giving  my  waist  a  sympathetic  squeeze.  "  I  like 
this  living-room.  But  Ide  doesn't  admire  it  a  little  bit." 


250    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  If  I  was  Mis'  Trowbridge  I'd  always  sit  in  the  par 
lour,"  said  Ide,  "  instead  of  keeping  it  shut  up,  except 
for  best,  just  because  Mr.  Trowbridge's  ma  did  before  her. 
It's  a  real  pretty  room.  There's  a  Brussels  carpet  with 
roses  on  the  floor,  and  a  handsome  suite  of  red  velvet  fur 
niture,  and  a  piano,  and  a  marble  table.  Patty  practises 
her  music  there,  but  aside  from  that  none  of  us  see  the 
room,  only  to  sweep  and  dust,  till  Thanksgiving  and 
Christmas,  when  the  relations  come,  or  when  Mis'  Trow 
bridge  has  company  to  tea  in  winter.  Would  you  like  to 
see  it?  You  can  if  you  want." 

I  thanked  her,  but  thought  we  had  better  put  off  the 
treat  until  another  time,  as  we  were  on  our  way  to  my 
room.  I  was  wondering  how  to  define  the  difference  be 
tween  Patty  and  Ide.  I  saw  that  it  was  very  marked,  yet 
I  didn't  quite  understand.  The  two  girls  appeared  to  be 
on  the  same  footing  in  the  house,  I  said  to  myself,  but 
Ide  was  far  more  showy  than  Patty,  seeming  to  put  her 
self  forward,  as  if  she  were  afraid  of  not  being  noticed, 
and  then  she  was  dressed  so  much  more  elaborately.  Per 
haps,  I  thought,  Patty  was  poor,  and  in  a  more  dependent 
position  than  Ide. 

The  stairway,  very  steep  and  narrow,  leads  straight  up 
from  the  "  living-room,"  which  is  apparently  in  the  centre 
of  the  house  and  fills  the  place  of  a  hall.  There  are  no 
balusters,  but  a  whitewashed  wall  on  either  side,  and  only 
one  person  can  go  up  at  a  time.  At  the  top  is  a  landing, 
with  a  bare,  painted  floor,  and  doors  opening  from  it. 
One  of  the  doors  is  mine;  and  as  they  showed  me  in  I 
could  see  that  Patty  and  Ide  both  waited  breathlessly  for 
my  verdict,  their  faces  looking  quite  strained  and  anxious 
until  I  exclaimed: 

"  How  fresh  and  pretty  it  is  here ! " 

I  meant  it,  too.     It  is  a  dear  room,  with    something 


ABOUT    THE    VALLEY    FARM  251 

pathetic  about  its  simple  sweetness,  and  the  kind  thought 
to  give  me  pleasure  which  shows  in  every  little  innocent 
detail.  The  floor  is  covered  with  a  white  straw  matting, 
and  there  are  no  two  pieces  of  furniture  that  match. 
There's  a  wide,  wooden  bed  of  no  particular  period  that  I 
can  recognise,  yet  with  an  air  of  being  old-fashioned, 
and  there  are  stiff,  square  shams  to  hide  the  pillows  and 
turn  down  over  the  top  of  the  sheet,  with  fluted  frills 
round  the  edges.  There's  a  thing  covered  with  a  veneer 
of  mahogany,  which  I  should  call  a  chest  of  drawers,  if 
Patty  and  Ide  hadn't  mentioned  it  as  a  "  bureau."  A 
mirror  divided  into  two  halves  hangs  over  it,  with  a  white 
crocheted  cover  to  protect  the  gilt  frame  from  flies; 
there's  a  crocheted  pin-cushion,  too ;  and  in  vases  painted 
by  home  talent  bloom  the  sweetest  grass-pinks  I  ever 
smelled.  There  are  little  blue  summer  houses  with  pink 
children  and  brown  dogs  in  them,  matched  all  wrong  at 
the  edges,  on  the  wall  paper;  there  is  a  wash-handstand 
and  a  table  with  a  white  cover  and  more  flowers ;  and  that's 
all  except  a  basket  rocking-chair  and  some  hanging 
shelves ;  but  the  white  muslin  curtains  are  tied  with  blue 
ribbons,  and  there's  a  hand-braided  rug  before  the  bed, 
and  there  are  little  lace  mats  under  the  vases.  The  scent 
of  dried  rose  leaves  and  lavender  mingles  with  the  per 
fume  of  the  pinks ;  and  some  of  the  summer  house  pagodas 
on  the  wall  are  hidden  with  old-fashioned  steel  engrav 
ings  and  photographs  in  home-made  frames. 

I  didn't  stop  to  examine  the  pictures  at  first,  but  after 
Patty  and  Ide  had  tripped  away  ("  to  see  about  my  din 
ner,"  they  said)  I  was  attracted  by  a  faded  cabinet  photo 
graph  framed  with  shells.  It  was  a  full  length  figure  of 
a  young  man  on  horseback.  He  was  dressed  something 
like  those  splendid  cowboys  they  took  me  to  see  at  Earls- 
court  when  I  was  a  little  girl,  and  the  face  was  Mr. 


LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

Brett's.  It  was  so  handsome  and  dashing  I  could  hardly 
stop  staring  at  it  while  I  washed  off  the  dust  of  motor 
ing.  Evidently  the  photograph  in  its  frame  has  been 
on  the  wall  a  long  time.  I  am  glad  they  happened  to  put 
it  in  what  they  call  the  "  spare  room,"  so  I  can  look  at 
it  whenever  I  like  without  anyone  noticing. 


XVII 

ABOUT    COWS    AND    NATIONAL 
CHARACTERISTICS 

WHEN  I  went  downstairs,  dinner  was  ready  in 
a  cool,  shady  dining-room,  with  a  bare  floor 
painted  brown,  and  a  long  table  down  the 
middle.     It  wasn't  quite  two  o'clock,  but  it 
turned  out  that  the  family  had  had  their  dinner  at  noon 
exactly,  and  this  was  a  meal  only  for  Mr.  Brett  and  me, 
with  Patty  and  Ide  to  bring  us  things  from  the  kitchen 
and  wait  upon  us,  while  Mrs.  Trowbridge  flitted  in  smiling 
from  time  to  time,  to  ask  how  we  were  "  getting  along." 
It  was  she  who  was  cooking  for  us,  and  I  felt  quite  dis 
tressed  at  the  trouble  I  was  giving,  on  such  a  hot  day,  too, 
but  she  said  she  was  enjoying  it. 

It  was  a  very  funny  dinner,  according  to  my  ideas,  for 
I  never  had  a  meal  a  bit  like  it  at  home,  even  when  I  was 
small  and  dined  in  the  daytime  with  the  governess.  But 
it  was  tremendously  good,  though  none  of  the  things  went 
together  properly.  We  had  delicious  young  chicken — 
quite  babies  they  were,  poor  dears — fried  with  cream ;  and 
wreathed  all  round  our  plates  in  a  semicircle  were  a 
quantity  of  tiny  dishes.  Each  one  had  a  big  dab  of  some 
thing  different  in  it;  mashed  potatoes,  succotash,  green 
peas,  a  kind  of  vegetable  marrow  to  which  they  gave  the 
unworthy  name  of  "  squash,"  raw  tomatoes,  sweet  green 
pickles,  preserved  strawberries,  and  goodness  knows  what 
all  besides ;  while,  if  we  stopped  eating  to  breathe  or 
speak,  Patty  flew  in  with  a  plate  of  freshly-made  things 

253 


254    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

of  the  most  heavenly  nature,  called  corn  fritters.  Mrs. 
Trowbridge  beamed  all  over  when  I  said  I  should  like  to 
live  on  them  for  a  month.  To  drink  we  had  tumblers  of 
iced  tea,  and  there  was  raspberry  vinegar,  too,  which  we 
were  supposed  to  swallow  with  our  dinner;  and  after 
wards  there  was  hot  apple  pie,  with  custard  and  slabs  of 
cheese  to  eat  at  the  same  time. 

We  were  obliged  to  eat  a  good  deal  of  everything, 
otherwise  Mrs.  Trowbridge  would  have  felt  hurt,  and  I 
felt  sleepy  when  we  had  finished,  but  I  refused  to  go  and 
lie  down  to  rest,  as  they  wanted  me  to,  it  seemed  such  a 
waste  of  time.  At  last  Mr.  Trowbridge  offered  to  show 
"  Cousin  Jim  "  round  the  farm,  and  maybe  I  looked  wist 
ful,  for  when  they  found  that  I  was  determined  not  to  take 
a  nap,  they  asked  if  I  would  go  with  them. 

Mr.  Trowbridge  had  on  a  linen  coat  now,  a  long,  yellow 
one,  which  I  should  laugh  at  if  I  saw  it  on  the  stage  in  a 
play,  but  it  suited  him,  and  he  looked  quite  impressive  in 
it.  He  fanned  himself  with  a  large  straw  hat,  without 
any  ribbon,  and  talked  splendidly  to  us,  as  we  three  walked 
together  under  the  trees. 

If  any  English  person  should  write  a  novel,  and  make  a 
farmer  in  it  talk  like  Mr.  Trowbridge,  everyone  who  read 
the  book  would  say  he  was  impossible.  His  way  of 
speaking  was  a  litfle  slipshod,  sometimes  (though  not  a 
bit  more  than  ours  when  we  drop  our  "  g's  "  and  things 
like  that,  only  more  guileless  sounding)  ;  but  without 
seeming  a  bit  as  if  he  wanted  to  show  off  what  he  knew — 
which  is  so  boring — he  quoted  Shakespeare,  and  Words 
worth,  and  Tennyson ;  and  in  mentioning  his  work  at 
the  hives  in  the  morning,  asked  if  we  had  read  Maeter 
linck's  "  Life  of  the  Bee."  From  that  he  fell  to  discussing 
other  things  of  Maeterlinck's  with  Mr.  Brett,  and  inci 
dentally  talked  of  Ibsen.  There  wasn't  the  least  affecta- 


ABOUT    COWS  255 

tion  about  it  all.  The  quotations  and  allusions  he 
made  were  mixed  up  incidentally  with  conversation  about 
the  beauty  of  the  country,  ami  life  on  a  farm.  He  was 
interested  in  the  subjects,  and  took  it  for  granted  that 
we  were,  so  he  chatted  about  things  he  cared  for,  modestly 
and  happily. 

By  and  by  he  left  us  alone  for  a  few  minutes,  while 
he  went  to  speak  to  a  man  who  works  on  the  farm.  He 
was  going  to  show  us  the  maple  sugar  camp  when  he  came 
back,  and  we  sat  on  a  felled  oak  and  waited,  with  a  smell 
of  clover  coming  to  us  on  the  warm  breeze,  and  the 
"  tinkle,  tankle  "  of  cow-bells  in  the  distance. 

"  What  an  extraordinary  man ! "    I  said  to  Mr.  Brett. 

"You  mean  because  he's  a  farmer,"  said  he,  his  eyes 
laughing. 

"Well — I  suppose  I  do.  But  then,  of  course,  he's  a 
gentleman  farmer,  not  an  ordinary  one  at  all." 

"  He's  a  gentleman  in  the  way  that  all  the  good  people 
in  the  country  round  are  gentlefolk,  because  they're  self- 
respecting  and  kind-hearted  and  intelligent.  But  he  comes 
of  generations  of  workers.  They  make  no  pretensions  to 
blue  blood,  though  perhaps  they  may  have  some  in  their 
veins,  and  don't  think  themselves  superior  socially  to 
their  own  farm  hands — like  that  one  over  there.  Nor 
do  they  consider  themselves  inferior  to  anybody.  Not 
that  they  would  think  of  asserting  their  claims  to  equal 
ity  with  your  friend  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox,  for  instance. 
They  simply  take  it  for  granted  that  they  are  the  equals 
of  any  other  American,  or  for  the  matter  of  that,  per 
sons  of  any  foreign  nations.  You  will  perhaps  hear  them 
talking  about  your  king  and  queen  as  '  Edward '  and 
*  Alexandra ' ;  but  they  won't  mean  the  slightest  disre 
spect." 

"  You  needn't  be  afraid  I  shall  misunderstand  anything 


256    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

they  may  do  or  say,"  said  I.  "  My  ideas  about  them  are 
beginning  to  crystallise  already,  as  you  thought  they 
would.  But  I'm  wondering  at  them  all,  still.  They're  so 
utterly  new  to  me,  so  absolutely  different  from  any  types 
we  have  or  could  have  at  home." 

"  What  would  your  mother  the  Duchess  think  of  them 
— now,  honour  bright?  Don't  dream  you'll  hurt  my  feel 
ings  because  they're  my  cousins  and  we  come  of  the  same 
stock." 

I  thought  for  a  minute,  and  then  I  said : 

"  Mother  would  begin  to  patronise  them  graciously  at 
first,  as  if  they  could  be  classified  with  our  farmers — I 
mean,  the  peasant  ones,  not  the  younger-son  or  poor-gen 
tleman  kind.  When  she  found  she  couldn't,  she  would  be 
inclined  to  resent  it.  Then,  at  last,  when  a  dim,  puzzled 
inkling  of  the  truth  came  into  her  head,  and  she  found 
out  that  they  knew  as  much  as  she  about  books  and  poli 
tics  and  all  sorts  of  things — oh,  I  can  hardly  fancy 
exactly  what  she  would  feel;  but  I'd  trust  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Trowbridge  or  anyone  like  them  not  to  appear  at  a  dis 
advantage  with  her,  whatever  she  did  with  them.  They 
wouldn't  have  self-consciousness  enough  to  be  overawed 
by  her,  though  she  can  be  so  dreadfully  alarming.  Why, 
Mr.  Brett,  in  a  way  I  believe  they're  like  Us — more  like 
us,  really,  deep  down  and  far  back,  than  a  good  many 
enormously  rich  people  I  met:«at  Newport,  who  think  no 
end  of  themselves  and  live  in  palaces,  and  know  Royalties 
abroad.  Just  as  I  said  once  to  Sally — Miss  Woodburn — 
we  take  ourselves  for  granted,  and  then  don't  make  any 
more  fuss  or  bother  about  our  manners  or  whether  we're 
going  to  do  the  right  thing  or  not.  But  a  few  of  the 
people  even  in  your  Four  Hundred  don't  seem  quite  easy 
in  their  minds  about  themselves.  I've  never  seen  anything 
in  big  houses  at  home?  where  I've  been  with  Mother  or 


ABOUT    COWS  257 

Vic,  to  come  near  the  luxury  of  theirs,  yet  several  I've 
met  can't  seem  to  relax  and  look  thoroughly  comfortable, 
as  if  they  really  liked  it.  They  don't  loll  about  as  we 
do;  they  only  pretend  to  loll,  because  it's  in  their  part 
in  the  play  they're  acting — oh,  such  a  smart,  society 
kind  of  play,  with  lots  of  changes  of  dress  and  scene  in 
every  act.  They  build  castles  because  it's  the  smartest 
thing  they  can  do,  and  because  grand  people  always  did 
it  a  long  time  ago.  Of  course,  in  old  times  you  had  to  live  in 
them  and  couldn't  have  nice  seaside  cottages  with  balconies, 
because  if  you  did  your  enemies  shot  off  your  head,  or 
poured  boiling  oil  on  you ;  but  nowadays  they  merely  say 
horrid  things  behind  your  back,  and  it's  just  play-acting 
to  build  new  ones.  People  talk  about  a  man  being  '  worth  ' 
so  many  millions,  as  if  it  didn't  matter  what  else  he's  worth, 
and  they  seem  to  be  worrying  a  lot  about  themselves. 
Now,  I  can't  imagine  your  cousins  doing  that.  They  just 
take  themselves  for  granted,  as  we  do  in  England.  Their 
behaviour  is  like  the  air  they  breathe,  and  as  much  a  part 
of  themselves  as  that  air  is  when  it's  in  their  lungs. 
There's  a  kind  of  invisible  bond  between  our  kind  of  people 
at  home  and  people  like  these,  I  think,  if  you  come  to 
study  it.  Partly,  it's  from  having  all  one's  natural  in 
terests  in  the  country,  maybe,  and  not  just  going  into  the 
country  from  a  town  to  play.  They  are  real.  There's 
nothing  artificial  about  them." 

"  You've  got  hold  of  things  even  sooner  than  I  thought 
you  would,  Lady  Betty,"  said  Mr.  Brett,  when  I  stopped, 
horrified  at  nwself  for  my  long  harangue,  in  which  I'd 
been  thinking  out  things  as  I  went  on.  "  But  all  the  same, 
though  these  new  types  and  this  pleasant  Ohio  farm  in 
terest  you  now,  you  know  you'd  rather  die  than  be 
doomed  to  live  among  such  people  and  in  such  a  place." 

"  Perhaps  I  should  be  bored  after  a  while,  but  I  don't 


258    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

feel  now  as  if  I  should.  I  know  I  could  be  happy  if  I  had 
people  with  me  whom  I  loved." 

"  But  could  you  love  anyone  who " 

"Well,  I've  got  rid  of  that  fellow,"  said  Mr.  Trow- 
b ridge  cheerfully.  "  Now  we'll  have  a  look  around  the 
camp  and  I'll  show  you  how  we  tap  the  maple  trees  for  the 
sap;  then  afterwards  we'll  go  into  the  sugar  house  where 
we  boil  it  down  and  make  the  maple  syrup." 

We'd  been  talking  so  earnestly  that  we  hadn't  heard 
him  come  up,  and  I  felt  quite  dazed  for  a  minute. 

He  explained  everything  to  us,  or  rather  to  me,  for  Mr. 
Brett  knew  all  about  it  beforehand.  Then  we  had  a  long 
walk  over  the  hills,  which  are  billowy  and  wooded,  like 
Surrey,  and  when  we  came  back  Mr.  Trowbridge  took  me 
to  the  beehives  to  get  some  honey  and  show  me  what  a 
queen  bee  is  like.  He  gave  me  a  hat  with  a  mosquito-net 
veil  and  put  on  one  himself.  Then  he  opened  a  hive,  and 
when  I  wasn't  a  bit  nervous,  because  I  trusted  him,  he 
said,  "  I  tell  you  what  it  is,  Lady  Betty,  you're  a  trump. 
I  shouldn't  be  surprised  if  there  isn't  something  in  blood 
after  all." 

I  was  pleased,  for  I  don't  think  that  he  or  any  of  the 
others  at  the  Valley  Farm  are  the  kind  to  say  nice  things 
to  you  unless  they  really  mean  them. 

After  we  had  done  all  this  sight-seeing,  it  was  past  five 
o'clock,  and  I  was  longing  for  tea.  "  We  shall  have  it 
soon  now,"  I  said  to  myself,  as  we  sat  on  the  side  veran 
dah  on  benches  and  rocking-chairs,  fanning  ourselves  with 
palm-leaf  fans.  Mrs.  Trowbridge  and  the  girls  had 
changed  their  dresses  while  we  were  away,  and  put  on 
white  ones,  fresh  and  nice,  though  the  plainest  of  the 
plain — except  Ide,  who  had  a  pink  Alsatian  bow  in  her 
hair  and  a  flowered  sash.  I  think  they  must  have  washed 
their  faces  with  yellow  kitchen  soap,  too,  for  they  were  so 


ABOUT    COWS  259 

incredibly  clean  and  polished  that  the  green  of  the  waving 
trees  seemed  to  be  reflected  in  their  complexion  in  little 
sheens  and  shimmers.  I  don't  suppose  it  would  have  oc 
curred  to  them  to  dust  off  the  shine  with  powder,  as  Mrs. 
Trowbridge  and  pretty  Patty  seem  to  have  no  vanity ;  or 
perhaps  they  would  consider  it  wicked. 

They  all  sat  and  rocked,  but  nobody  said  anything 
about  tea. 

"  They  do  have  it  late,"  I  thought. 

Suddenly  Ide  exclaimed,  "  My,  how  thirsty  I  am !  "  and 
she  got  up. 

"  Oh,  joy,"  I  said  to  myself. 

"  I  guess  I'll  go  and  get  a  drink  of  water  from  the 
mineral  spring,"  she  went  on ;  and  then  catching  my 
yearning  eye  she  asked  if  I  would  like  to  go  too. 

When  your  whole  soul  is  sighing  for  tea,  cold  water 
does  seem  a  poor  substitute,  but  I  began  to  lose  hope  now, 
so  I  followed  her.  The  water — which  we  got  at  a  spring 
in  the  deep  grass,  and  drank  out  of  a  tin  dipper,  was  de- 
liciously  cold,  more  refreshing  than  iced  water,  and  didn't 
make  you  thirstier  than  ever  again,  in  half  a  second. 
Still,  I  couldn't  tear  my  thoughts  from  tea,  and  when  we 
got  back  to  the  house  I  was  encouraged  to  find  that  Mrs. 
Trowbridge  and  Patty  had  disappeared. 

"  I  must  go  and  help  them  get  tea,"  said  Ide,  "  if 
you'll  excuse  me." 

I  said  "  of  course,"  with  alacrity,  and  hoped  soon  to  see 
a  tray  coming  out  into  the  verandah,  where  it  was  so  cool 
and  breezy  now.  Half  an  hour  passed,  however,  and 
nothing  happened.  It  was  getting  on  towards  six  o'clock, 
and  a  smell  of  frying  floated  to  us  from  the  kitchen. 

"  I  suppose  they're  beginning  to  cook  something  that 
takes  a  long  time  to  do,  for  dinner — or  supper,  rather," 
I  thought.  "  She  said  they  were  getting  tea,  so " 


260    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  Tea's  ready,  good  people,  if  you're  ready  for  it," 
announced  Mrs.  Trowbridge's  gentle  voice  at  the  door. 

Mr.  Trowbridge  and  Mr.  Brett  got  up,  and  I  did  too, 
disappointed  that  we  weren't  to  have  it  out  of  doors ;  but 
still,  I  reminded  myself,  the  sitting  room  would  be  nice 
and  cool.  But  I  found  that  we  were  being  led  through  to 
the  dining  room. 

There  was  the  long  table  laid  out  again,  with  a  regular 
sit-down  meal;  cream  cheese,  and  cake,  and  blackberries, 
and  a  big  plate  of  honey;  some  curious  kind  of  smoked 
meat  cut  very  thin,  and  the  potatoes  which  I'd  smelled 
frying. 

"  What  an  odd  tea !  "  I  thought.  But  the  oddest  part 
was  that  after  all  there  wasn't  any  tea. 

We  sat  down,  and  at  the  far  end  of  the  table  were  two 
young  men,  all  soapy  and  sleek,  their  hair  very  wet  and 
their  sleeves  (with  no  cuffs  showing)  very  short.  We 
were  introduced  to  each  other,  and  they  bowed  rather 
awkwardly  without  saying  anything,  but  I  couldn't 
understand  their  names.  One  of  the  two  never  spoke,  and 
ate  with  his  knife  until  he  saw  me  looking,  when  he  stopped 
and  got  red.  After  that  he  cut  up  everything  on  his 
plate  quite  small  before  he  ate  it,  and  stuck  out  his 
elbows.  The  other,  who  sat  next  to  Ide,  talked  to  her  in 
a  low  voice,  but  I  caught  the  words  "  picnic,"  and 
"  beaux,"  and  they  both  giggled  a  great  deal. 

Instead  of  tea,  those  who  liked  had  black  coffee  with 
thick  cream,  and  the  others  drank  what  I  should  call 
lemon-squash,  but  they  all  spoke  of  it  as  lemonade. 

It  wasn't  much  past  six  when  we  finished,  and  soon  Mr. 
Brett  asked  me  how  I  would  like  to  walk  over  to  Mrs. 
Randal's  and  see  my  friend  Miss  Woodburn,  since  she 
couldn't  come  to  me.  The  place  was  less  than  a  mile  away 
by  short  cuts  which  he  knew,  and  he  would  take  me  there. 


ABOUT    COWS  261 

The  shadows  were  beginning  to  grow  long  and  thin 
when  we  started,  though  the  sun  was  still  bright,  so  I 
carried  a  sunshade,  and  went  hatless,  American  fashion. 

To  avoid  going  out  in  the  road  we  took  field  paths  and 
skirted  along  the  edge  of  meadows  where  grain  was  tall 
and  golden,  or  white  as  a  summer  snowstorm.  There  were 
no  proper  stiles,  as  with  us,  so  whenever  we  came  to  one 
of  the  rough  fences  which  divided  one  field  from  another 
I  had  to  mount  on  the  first  or  second  bar,  and  let  Mr. 
Brett  lift  me  over. 

He  is  so  strong  that  he  did  it  as  if  I  were  a  bundle  of 
down  instead  of  a  tall  girl,  and  I  had  much  the  same 
exhilarating  sensation  I  used  to  have  as  a  wee  thing  when 
I  rode  wildly  on  Mohunsleigh's  foot.  I  was  glad  when 
we  came  to  the  fences,  and  that  there  were  a  good  many 
of  them.  But  I  wasn't  at  all  glad  when  Mr.  Brett 
jumped  me  over  into  a  grass  meadow  where  there  was  a 
whole  drove  of  ferocious-looking  black  and  white  cattle. 

"  Couldn't  we  go  some  other  way  round  ?  "  I  asked, 
longing  to  get  behind  him,  but  ashamed  for  him  to  see 
what  an  idiot  I  am  about  cows,  and  perhaps  make  him 
lose  his  good  opinion  of  me  as  a  reasonably  brave  girl. 

"  I'm  afraid  not,  unless  we  turn  back,"  said  he.  "  But 
you  needn't  mind  them.  Remember,  you're  with  an  old 
'  cow  puncher.' ' 

"Oh,  were  you  one,  too?"  I  asked  trying  to  seem  at 
ease. 

"Too?" 

"  I  was  thinking  of  a  friend  of  my  cousin  Mohunsleigh's 
whom  he  was  always  talking  about,  a  Mr.  Harborough, 
who  lives  in  San  Francisco.  Mohunsleigh  knew  him 
abroad  somewhere.  He  used  to  be  a  '  cow  puncher,' — 
whatever  that  is — in  Texas,  I  believe,  though  now  he's  a 
millionaire.  Did  you  ever  hear  of  him  ?  " 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 


"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Brett,  in  rather  a  dry  way. 

"  I  was  so  disappointed  not  to  meet  him." 

(As  we  walked  on,  I  kept  my  eyes  on  the  horrible  ani 
mals  who  were  grazing  at  some  distance.) 

"  Why  ?  "  he  asked  the  question  almost  sharply. 

"  Because  my  cousin  says  he's  such  a  glorious  person." 

"  Well  gilded,  anyhow." 

"  Oh,  I  don't  mean  on  that  account.  I'm  rather  blase 
of  millionaires  lately.  But  from  Mohunsleigh's  accounts 
he  must  be — well,  the  sort  of  a  man  we  like." 

"We?" 

"  Girls.  Brave  and  adventurous,  and  reckless,  and  that 
sort  of  thing." 

"  I'm  afraid  his  millions  are  more  of  an  attraction  to 
most  girls." 

"  Why,  you're  as  bad  as  he !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"In  what  way?" 

"  Unjust,  and — almost  morbid.  I  wouldn't  have 
thought  you  would  be  like  that,  though  perhaps  one  can't 
blame  him  so  much,  if  he's  had  bad  experiences.  I  am 
sorry  for  him.  It  must  be  miserable  to  fancy  always  that 
people  care  for  you  for  your  money." 

"  I'm  sorry  for  him,  too.  At  least,  I  used  to  be — when 
ever  I  thought  of  him." 

"  Aren't  you  now  ?  " 

"  No.  I  believe  he's  a  changed  man.  He's  found  that 
there  are  exceptions  to  the  gloomy  rule  he'd  laid  down 
for  humanity." 

"Oh,  then  he's' happier." 

"  So  far  as  I  understand  the  case,  he  isn't  exactly 
happy  yet.  He  isn't  out  of  the  woods.  In  fact,  he's  in 
the  thickest  part.  But  he  sees  blue  sky  and  the  sun  shin 
ing  overhead." 

"What  do  you  mean?" 


ABOUT    COWS  £65 

"  A  fellow  who  knows  him  very  well  told  me  that  Har- 
borough  had  fallen  in  love  with  a  beautiful  girl  who  was 
so  unworldly  that  she  might  be  induced  to  marry  for  love 
— if  she  cared." 

"  Then  why  isn't  he  happy  ?  " 

"  Because  he  doesn't  know  whether  she  can  ever  care 
for  him — except  as  a  friend.  He's  sure  she  likes  him 
pretty  well,  but  there's  nothing  in  that.  I'm  mighty 
ignorant  about  such  things  myself,  but  they  say  if  a  girl 
doesn't  mind  showing  that  she's  your  friend,  and  values 
you  in  a  way,  it's  a  sign  she's  a  thousand  miles  off  from 
falling  in  love  with  you.  What's  your  opinion  on  the 
subject — as  you  seem  to  be  rather  interested  in 
Harborough?  " 

"  My  goodness,  Mr.  Brett,  there's  a  cow  looking  at  us. 
Oh,  what  shall  we  do?  It's  the  worst  cow  of  all.  It's 
putting  its  head  down  now.  It  doesn't  like  us.  Oh,  what 
an  appalling  beast.  I  believe  it  must  be  a  bull." 

"  It's  a  very  young  one,"  said  he,  calmly.  "  Now,  don't 
be  frightened.  This  is  going  to  be  nothing  at  all." 

"  Are  you  sure?  " 

"Can't  you  trust  me?" 

"  Yes.    I  know  you  won't  let  me  be  hurt.   But  you " 

"  Don't  worry.  Perhaps  we  shall  have  a  little  fun. 
Just  wait." 

I  could  cheerfully  have  waited  a  hundred  years,  and 
then  put  it  off  again;  but  it  didn't  look  as  if  we  should 
have  to  wait  long — not  more  than  three-quarters  of  a 
dreadful  second,  with  my  blood  in  my  head,  and  all  the 
iced  water  I  had  drunk  at  Newport  in  my  spine. 

The  cows  were  delighted.  Evidently  they  regarded  the 
horrid,  thick-necked  brute  as  their  champion.  They 
didn't  follow  him  towards  us,  but  lifted  their  heads  and 
stared  complacently,  as  much  as  to  say,  "  Isn't  he  a 


LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

splendid  fellow?  Now  he's  going  to  give  them  what  they 
deserve." 

The  rest  happened  so  quickly  it  was  all  in  a  jumble. 
With  a  smile,  Mr.  Brett  reached  out  and  took  my  sun 
shade,  which  I'd  closed.  Just  as  the  bull  came  at  us, 
he  opened  it  in  the  creature's  face.  The  bull  swerved  a 
few  inches,  surprised ;  and  the  next  thing  I  knew  the  sun 
shade  was  tossed  away,  Mr.  Brett  had  seized  the  animal 
by  his  horns,  and  was  vaulting  on  his  back  with  a  laugh. 
"  Run  to  the  nearest  fence,"  said  he. 

He  did  it  as  easily  as  if  it  were  play,  and  so  it  seemed 
to  be  for  him.  The  bull  tore  about,  ramping  and  raving, 
while  I  obediently  flew  for  the  fence  and  scrambled  over 
without  ceremony.  There  I  turned,  panting,  frightened, 
yet  laughing  in  spite  of  myself.  Mr.  Brett's  hat  had 
fallen  off,  and  his  short  hair  was  ruffled  across  his  fore 
head.  Riding  the  black  and  white  bull,  hanging  on  by 
legs,  as  well  as  arms,  he  looked  like  a  runaway  schoolboy, 
revelling  in  a  mischievous  "  lark."  His  eyes  sparkled,  and 
his  white  teeth  shone. 

The  bull  was  sure  he  could  throw  his  rider  at  first,  but 
finding  he  couldn't,  was  very  much  surprised.  His  wild 
gallop  subsided  to  a  trot,  and  embracing  his  great  neck, 
Mr.  Brett  bent  far  down  to  one  side,  to  snatch  up  my 
sunshade,  which  lay  on  the  grass,  open  and  undamaged. 
A  few  moment's  later,  he  had  steered  the  bull  in  some 
curious  way  with  his  feet,  so  that  the  beast  came  loping 
stupidly  near  the* fence.  Then  Mr.  Brett  jumped  off, 
and  vaulted  over. 

"  That  was  a  good  bit  of  sport,"  said  he.  "  It  re 
minds  me  of  old  times,  when  we  chaps  used  to  ride  steers 
for  a  wager.  I'm  a  little  out  of  practice  now ;  but  I  hope 
you  were  amused." 


ABOUT    COWS  265 

"  I  was  much  too  terrified,"  I  said,  thankful  that  he 
was  on  the  right  side  of  the  fence  at  last. 

"  Then  I  apologise  for  the  exhibition.  The  silly  brute 
didn't  know  he  was  our  bull,  you  see,  but  I  reckon  he'll 
remember  now,  and  act  accordingly.  Here's  your  para 
sol,  Lady  Betty.  I  don't  think  it's  hurt.  As  for  my  hat, 
I'll  make  the  cows  a  present  of  it.  I  don't  want  to  keep 
you  waiting  any  longer." 

"  Fancy  Daniel  when  he  got  safely  out  of  the  lions'  den 
going  back  for  his  hat ! "  I  exclaimed. 

"  He  was  just  the  sort  of  man  to  have  done  it,"  said 
Mr.  Brett,  "  if  he  hadn't  a  lady  waiting." 

After  that,  nothing  else  happened  to  upset  us  on  the 
way  to  Sally. 

The  place  where  she  is  staying  isn't  a  farm,  but  quite 
a  small  cottage  in  a  lovely  garden,  walled  in  with  oaks 
and  maples;  and  Mrs.  Randal  sells  seeds  and  cuttings. 

A  young  girl  came  to  the  door  when  we  rang,  and  asked 
us  to  "  please  sit  down  on  the  piazza  " ;  she  would  call 
Miss  Woodburn.  Then  we  had  a  few  minutes  to  wait,  and 
Sally  appeared. 

I  was  glad  to  see  her!  And  when  she  held  me  tight, 
and  kissed  me,  I  had  to  wink  back  some  silly  tears.  It 
was  so  good  to  feel  that  she  cared  about  me,  and  would 
sympathise  in  everything,  for  I  knew  she  would. 

After  Mr.  Brett  had  said  "  how  do  you  do,"  and  a  few 
polite  words,  he  added  that  he  would  just  stroll  over  to 
the  Green  Dairy  Farm  across  the  way.  He  knew  the 
farmer  there,  and  would  like  to  have  a  chat  with  him. 
We  settled  that  he  was  to  come  back  for  me  in  an  hour, 
and  then  Sally  and  I  were  left  alone  together. 

She  made  me  begin  at  the  beginning  and  tell  all  my 
adventures,  cause  as  well  as  effect,  before  she  would  give 


266    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

me  any  of  her  news,  or  even  her  opinions  on  the  situation 
as  far  as  it  concerned  me. 

It  made  quite  a  long  story,  and  Sally  was  a  beautiful 
listener,  as  only  sympathetic  and  unselfish  people  can  be. 

"  There  wasn't  anything  else  for  me  to  do,  was  there?  " 
I  asked,  when  she  knew  everything  exactly  as  it  had 
happened. 

She  complimented  me  on  my  "  pluck,"  like  the  dear 
creature  she  is,  and  said  she  hadn't  it  in  her  heart  to  be 
sorry,  as  things  had  turned  out,  that  I  had  had  such  a 
chase  to  find  her. 

"  To  tell  the  truth,  it  was  your  affairs  that  drove  me 
to  Chicago,"  she  went  on.  "  I  don't  mind  your  knowing 
now,  deah.  We  can  talk  freely  about  things  I  couldn't 
discuss  with  you  before.  Of  course,  I  always  knew  Kath- 
erine  wanted  you  for  Potter,  and  that  they'd  both  do 
anything  to  get  you.  It  began  with  her  trying  to  keep 
other  men  away  from  you  even  on  the  ship.  Do  you 
remember?  Nobody  could  get  near  you  but  Tom  Dore- 
mus,  and  he  wouldn't  if  Kath  hadn't  been  afraid  of 
Mrs.  Van  der  Windt.  It  was  just  the  same  in  Newport, 
whenever  she  could  fix  it  so.  I  couldn't  exactly  warn 
you;  it  wouldn't  have  been  nice.  They  are  my  cousins, 
and  I  was  Kath's  guest — though  I  shouldn't  have  been  for 
long,  if  I  hadn't  wanted  to  watch  over  you.  But  you 
know  I  did  drop  hints  sometimes,  didn't  I?  It  wasn't  my 
business  if  you'd  fallen  in  love  with  Potter,  but  though 
he  isn't  a  bad  fellow,  he's  not  good  enough  or  strong 
enough  for  you,  Betty,  and  I  should  have  been  mighty 
sick  at  heart  if  he  had  got  you." 

"  I  never  felt  he  wanted  me,  really,"  I  said,  "  although 
he  was  always  proposing." 

"  Oh,  yes,  he  did  want  you.  Perhaps  he  wasn't  truly 
in  love  at  first,  though  he  always  admired  you,  deah. 


ABOUT    COWS  $61 

There  was  an  actress  that  he  was  crazy  about  last  winter — 
a  nice  girl,  too,  and  he  would  have  married  her  if  it  hadn't 
been  for  Katherine,  who  was  wild  over  it,  said  such  a 
mesalliance  in  the  family  would  ruin  her  as  well  as  him, 
and  contrived  to  break  it  off  somehow.  Potter  never  cared 
for  anyone  else  so  much.  The  girl  seemed  to  understand 
his  temper  exactly,  and  though  he  was  heart  and  soul  for 
winning  you,  after  the  race  was  begun,  I  shouldn't  wonder 
a  bit — now  he's  lost  you — if  that  affair  didn't  come  on 
again  some  day.  He  might  do  worse." 

"  I  wish  the  girl  joy  of  him,"  said  I.  "  But  how  was 
it  you  went  away  from  Newport  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  told  Kath  what  I  thought  of  her  for  trying  to 
trap  you.  It  was  that,  and  nothing  else.  And  she  didn't 
like  it.  She  almost  asked  me  to  go,  and  though  I  knew  it 
was  to  get  me  out  of  the  way,  I  had  to  do  it.  I  wish  you 
cculd  have  met  Mrs.  Hale  in  Chicago.  She  is  the  nicest, 
quaintest  woman.  You  saw  her  happy  family?  Well, 
she's  so  kind-hearted  that  when  her  horses  are  out  a,t 
grass,  she  has  a  big  sunbonnet  made  for  each  one.  You 
would  laugh  to  see  them  prancing  about  with  their  bon 
nets  flapping.  And  she  stops  cab  horses  in  the  street  to 
give  them  sugar.  But  after  all,  it's  better  for  you  to  be 
here — with  the  Trowbridges." 

"  Mr.  Brett  has  been  a  saint  to  me,"  said  I. 

Sally  smiled  her  three-cornered  smile. 

"  I  think  from  what  you  tell  me  of  some  of  the  things 
you've  said  to  him,  and  some  of  the  things  which  have 
happened,  that  he  has  been  a  saint — more  of  a  saint  than 
you  know." 

"  You  mean  I've  tried  his  temper?  "  I  asked  anxiously. 

"  Not  exactly  his  temper.  But  never  mind.  I'll  talk 
to  you  about  myself  now." 

So  she  did.    And  it  seems  that  this  invalid  widow,  Mrs. 


268    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

Randal,  whom  she's  come  to  nurse,  is  the  mother  of  the 
man  she  told  me  about  in  the  Park — the  man  who  turned 
monk  because  he  loved  her,  and  thought  she  didn't 
care. 

"  I  come  once  or  twice  a  year,  even  when  she's  well," 
said  Sally,  with  the  soft  voice  and  eyes  which  she  has  for 
this  one  subject  of  all  in  the  world.  "  It's  the  best  of  the 
few  pleasures  I  have,  to  be  with  her  and — talk  of  him ;  of 
him  when  he  was  a  little  boy ;  of  him  when  he  was  a  young 
man,  happy  in  the  thought  of  the  future — not  knowing 
what  was  to  come.  I  found  this  little  place  for  her,  years 
ago  now.  She  wasn't  happy  in  Kentucky,  for  there  were 
relatives  there  who  were  not  congenial,  and  used  to  say 
things — of  her  son's  religion — which  distressed  her.  But 
she  is  old  now,  and  very  delicate.  She  knows  I  would 
never  forgive  her  if  she  didn't  have  her  little  maid  tele 
graph  for  me  when  she  is  suffering.  I  always  come  at  once, 
and  would,  no  matter  where  I  was.  You  see,  I've  no 
mother  of  my  own ;  and  she  is  his  mother ;  it's  almost  the 
same  as  if  she  were  mine.  But  don't  look  so  sad,  dear. 
I'm  not  sad.  She's  going  to  get  well.  We've  been  glanc 
ing  over  old  photographs  of  his  this  evening.  She  has 
quite  forgiven  me  for  the  past." 

"I  should  think  so!"  I  couldn't  help  exclaiming. 
"  You  were  the  one  who  suffered  most." 

"  Not  more  than  his  mother,  child !  But  she's  old,  as  I 
said,  and  thank  heaven  I'm  beginning  to  grow  old,  too. 
Each  day  is  one  less  before  we  meet — he  and  I.  That's 
what  I'm  looking  forward  to  now,  and  I'm  not  a  bit  sad, 
so  kiss  me,  and  tell  me  just  what  you  think  of  those  dear 
things,  the  Trowbridges." 

Going  home,  Mr.  Brett  and  I  walked  along  the  road 
until  we'd  passed  the  cow  meadow;  then  we  took  to  the 
short  cuts  again.  A  lovely  blue  darkness  was  just 


ABOUT    COWS  269 

touched  with  the  faint  radiance  of  a  new  moon,  as  if  the 
lid  of  a  box  had  snapped  shut  on  the  sun;  and  the 
moment  the  light  was  gone,  the  fields  lit  up  with  thou 
sands  and  thousands  of  tiny,  pulsing,  flitting  sparks. 

"What  is  it?"  I  asked,  astonished. 

"  Fireflies,"  said  he.    "  Did  you  never  see  any  before?  " 

"  Never.  How  wonderful.  They  are  the  most  exquisite, 
magical  little  things !  " 

"  Then  I'm  glad  you're  seeing  them  for  the  first  time 
with  me,"  he  said. 

I  stopped,  and  made  him  stop,  to  look  at  the  enchanted 
rain  of  tiny  lights.  We  stood  in  a  billowy  meadow,  with 
the  pale  gray-green  of  the  stacked  oats  dimly  silvered 
by  the  baby  moon,  that  was  hurrying  down  the  west  after 
the  sun.  The  bundles  of  grain  made  pointed,  gothic 
arches,  and  through  these,  back  and  forth,  in  and  out, 
threaded  the  fireflies,  like  fairies  with  lanterns  searching 
for  lost  members  of  their  band. 

What  a  pity  they  never  come  to  England  to  search ! 

When  we  got  home  the  stars  were  pricking  out  in  the 
sky,  and  Patty  and  Ide  were  down  by  the  gate,  counting 
them.  It  seems,  if  you  can  count  seven  stars  for  seven 
nights,  then  the  first  man  who  touches  your  hand  after 
wards  you're  bound  to  marry.  I  counted  my  first  seven, 
and  I  do  hope  it  won't  rain  for  a  week. 

Although  I  had  been  so  longing  for  tea,  I  hadn't  been 
hungry,  and  had  scarcely  eaten  anything  when  we  had 
it.  Now,  I  was  beginning  to  be  starved.  We  all  sat  on 
the  verandah,  and  Mr.  Trowbridge  told  us  things  about 
astronomy,  in  which  he  seems  as  learned  as  in  everything 
else.  By-and-by  it  was  ten  o'clock,  and  Mrs.  Trow 
bridge  asked  if  I  weren't  tired,  and  wouldn't  like  to  go  to 
bed.  Then  I  knew  the  worst.  There  wasn't  going  to  be 
any  supper. 


270    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

We  all  bade  each  other  good-night. 

"What  time  is  breakfast?"  I  asked  Mrs.  Trowbridge, 
expecting  something  abnormal  in  the  way  of  earliness, 
but  my  eyes  did  open  when  she  said  half -past  six. 

"  You  don't  need  to  get  up  unless  you  want,"  she  went 
on.  "  Patty  or  Ide  will  carry  you  up  something." 

I  wouldn't  hear  of  that,  though.  I  said  I  would  prefer 
to  do  what  everybody  else  did,  and  I  saw  that  this  pleased 
Mr.  Trowbridge,  who  had  perhaps  feared  I  would  show 
symptoms  of  the  pampered  aristocrat.  But  he  little  knows 
what  small  pampering  I  get  at  home ! 

By-and-by  I  stood  at  my  window,  watching  the  fire 
flies  and  envying  them  because  they  could  get  their  own 
supper.  Just  then  among  the  trees  there  was  a  bigger, 
yellower  light  than  their  tiny  lanterns.  A  faint  smell  of 
good  tobacco  smoke  came  up. 

"Lady  Betty,  is  that  you?"  asked  Mr.  Brett's  voice. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered,  pushing  up  the  frame  with  the 
mosquito  netting,  and  leaning  over  the  window  sill. 

"  I've  got  something  for  you.  Have  you  a  box  or 
basket  you  can  let  down  with  string,  if  I  toss  a  ball  of  it 
up  to  you  ?  " 

"  There's  a  small  waste-paper  basket,"  I  said,  quite 
excited. 

He  tossed,  and  I  caught — Stan  taught  me  how,  long 
ago.  Then  I  made  the  basket  ready  and  sent  it  down. 

"  Now,"  he  called  after  a  minute.  I  hauled  the  basket 
up  carefully. 

"  Good-night,"  said  he.  "  There's  a  note  in  it,  among 
other  things.  Now,  pull  down  your  mosquito  net,  or 
you'll  have  trouble." 

It  was  fun  opening  the  basket.  There  were  two  chicken 
sandwiches  in  it,  in  a  napkin,  a  piece  of  jelly  cake,  a 
peach,  and  an  ice-cold  bottle  of  milk. 


ABOUT    COWS  271 

The  note  was  just  a  few  lines  scribbled  with  pencil  on 
a  sheet  torn  from  a  memorandum  book. 

"  I've  been  feeling  wretchedly  guilty  about  you,"  it 
began,  "  almost  as  much  of  a  brute  as  if  you  were  some  in 
nocent,  helpless  creature  I'd  killed,  and  buried  under  the 
leaves  in  the  woods.  No  tea  this  afternoon,  and  you  an 
English  girl !  When  they  say  *  tea '  here  they  mean  the 
evening  meal — the  last  one.  I,  like  a  beast,  didn't  notice 
that  you  ate  nothing;  not  that  I  wasn't  thinking  of  you, 
for  I  was,  I  didn't  even  have  the  sense  to  realise  that  you 
were  being  sent  perishing  to  bed.  It  was  Patty  who  saw 
all,  but  was  too  shy  to  speak  to  you.  This  humble  offering 
is  her  thought.  You  shan't  be  starved  after  to-night. 
There  was  a  question  of  mine  you  didn't  answer  this  after 
noon.  I've  got  a  grudge  against  that  black  and  white 
steer." 

I  couldn't  think  what  he  meant  at  first.  Then  I  re 
membered  how  he  had  been  asking  my  opinion  about  the 
love  affairs  of  Mohunsleigh's  millionaire  friend.  I  don't 
see,  though,  why  he  should  care  so  much  what  I  think  of 
them.  It  would  be  lots  more  interesting  if  he  would  ask  me 
questions  about  himself. 


XVIII 

ABOUT    SOME    COUNTRY    FOLK,    AND 
WALKER'S    EMPORIUM 

THE  day  after  I  came  to  Valley  Farm  was  one 
of  the  longest  days  of  my  life.  Not  that  it 
wasn't  pleasant,  for  it  was.  But  when  you  get 
up  before  six,  and  finish  breakfast  at  seven,  it 
does  give  you  a  good  many  hours  to  do  what  you  like  with. 

I  wasn't  allowed  to  help  Mrs.  Trowbridge  and  the  girls 
with  their  work;  Mr.  Brett  went  off  directly  after  break 
fast  with  Mr.  Trowbridge  and  the  two  mysterious  young 
men,  to  get  in  hay  or  do  something  useful  and  f army,  so  I 
sat  in  the  maple  grove  with  Vivace  (who  is  a  great  favour 
ite  in  the  household)  and  wrote  down  all  my  experiences 
since  Chicago.  We  had  an  enormous  dinner  at  twelve, 
which  made  me  feel  very  odd,  as  I'm  not  used  to  it;  but 
when  we  were  called  to  "  tea  "  I  knew  better  than  I  did 
yesterday  what  to  expect. 

Now,  I've  been  a  boarder  at  the  Trowbridges'  (I  pay 
four  dollars  a  week,  about  as  much,  I  suppose,  as  is  spent 
on  one  person's  food  at  each  meal  at  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's !) 
for  eight  days,  and  I'm  perfectly  happy.  I  can't  bear 
to  think  of  the  time  coming  when  I  must  go  home.  It 
will  come,  of  course,  for  they  will  have  to  send  for  me 
whether  they  really  want  me  back  or  not,  and  then  I  will 
never  see  any  of  these  dear  people  again.  Probably  I 
shall  never  even  see  Mr.  Brett.  He  says  he  must  go  West 
again  soon,  that  there  are  things  which  call  him  there. 
That  will  be  the  end.  I  wish  one  didn't  get  to  depend  on 

#72 


ABOUT    SOME    COUNTRY    FOLK  273 

other  people  so  much.  I  should  like  to  be  quite  cold 
hearted,  and  not  care  for  anyone;  then  it  wouldn't  mat 
ter  when  you  had  to  part.  But  there's  no  use  in  thinking 
about  horrid  things  just  yet. 

I've  written  home,  of  course.  I  wrote  the  day  after  I 
arrived.  At  first,  I  felt  I  ought  to  cable;  but  if  I  did, 
they  might  send  at  once,  and  on  second  thoughts  I  de 
cided  it  wasn't  necessary  to  go  to  the  expense.  So  I  just 
wrote  to  Mother  to  say  I  couldn't  stand  it  with  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay  on  account  of  her  brother,  and  I'd  left  suddenly  to 
join  Sally  Woodburn  in  the  country,  where  I  was  board 
ing  quite  close  to  her.  I  wrote  to  Mrs.  Ess  Kay,  too,  and 
said  the  same  thing,  asking  her  to  kindly  send  on  my 
boxes.  I  didn't  mention  Mr.  Brett,  because  she  wouldn't 
have  remembered  who  he  was,  or  if  she  did  by  any  chance, 
she  would  only  disapprove  of  his  daring  to  exist  still,  and 
perhaps  write  or  wire  something  rude. 

She  sent  the  boxes  by  what  they  call  "  express,"  but 
didn't  answer  my  letter,  which  rather  astonished  me,  as 
I  had  thought  she  would  scold,  and  had  dreaded  it.  But 
when  I  told  Sally,  she  wasn't  as  much  surprised  as  I  was. 
She  knew  already  everything  that  happened  after  I  ran 
away  from  The  Moorings,  and  told  me  all  about  it, 
which  interested  me  a  great  deal.  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  had 
written  her  some  things,  and  Mrs.  Pitchley  (whose  maid 
is  an  intimate  friend  of  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  Louise)  had  sup 
plied  all  the  missing  details. 

It  seems  that  the  day  after  the  Pink  Ball  Mrs.  Ess  Kay 
had  one  of  her  headaches — and  no  wonder.  Feeling  very 
ill,  she  didn't  take  much  interest  in  me,  and  took  it  for 
granted  when  Louise  said  I  wasn't  out  of  my  room,  that 
I  wanted  to  sleep  till  luncheon. 

Potter  had  been  so  furious  that  he  thought  to  punish 
me  for  my  sins  by  sulking.  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  did  not  appear 


274  LADY  BETTY  ACROSS  THE  WATER 

at  luncheon,  and  Potter  went  out  somewhere.  But  when 
I  didn't  show  myself,  or  even  ring,  the  servants  began  to 
think  it  odd,  and  spoke  to  Louise.  She  knocked  at  my 
door,  and  when  after  rapping  several  times  there  was  no 
answer,  she  opened  it  to  find  the  room  empty,  the  bed 
smooth,  my  boxes  packed,  and  all  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  presents 
to  me  spread  out  on  a  sofa. 

By  that  time  it  was  after  two;  and  if  only  they  had 
known,  I  was  leaving  the  Waldorf-Astoria  to  take  the  train 
for  Chicago  with  Mr.  Brett. 

Mrs.  Ess  Kay  was  so  nervous  with  her  headache  and 
the  reaction  after  all  her  work  in  getting  up  the  Great 
Affair,  that  when  she  was  told  I  was  nowhere  to  be  found, 
she  had  hysterics,  and  slapped  Louise. 

Potter  was  sent  for  to  the  Casino,  and  came  home  in 
a  rage.  They  talked  things  over,  and  made  up  their 
minds  that  I  had  either  caught  a  ship  sailing  for  home, 
or  else  had  gone  to  Chicago  to  join  Sally.  If  it  hadn't 
been  that  they  were  afraid  of  a  scandal  coming  out  in 
some  horrid  society  paper,  they  would  have  applied  to  the 
police  for  help,  but  as  it  was  they  didn't  dare,  and  Potter 
said  he  could  manage  everything  himself. 

A  ship  really  had  sailed  that  day,  so  as  well  as  tele 
graphing  to  Sally,  Potter  went  to  the  offices,  then  to  the 
docks,  and  made  all  sorts  of  enquiries.  From  what  he 
heard  about  some  people  who  had  engaged  berths  at  the 
last  minute,  he  couldn't  be  quite  sure  I  wasn't  one  of  them, 
having  gone  under  an  assumed  name.  To  add  to  the 
trouble,  no  answer  came  from  Sally.  Mrs.  Hale,  accord 
ing  to  instructions,  had  opened  the  telegram,  and  knowing 
something  of  the  story  from  Sally,  wasn't  anxious  to  re 
lieve  Mrs.  Ess  Kay's  mind  about  me,  in  too  much  of  a 
hurry.  Instead  of  having  the  message  wired  again,  she 
enclosed  it  in  an  envelope,  and  sent  it  on  to  Sally  by  post, 


ABOUT    SOME    COUNTRY   FOLK  275 

so  there  was  another  delay;  and  they  knew  nothing  for 
certain  until  a  letter  from  Sally  and  one  from  me  arrived 
at  about  the  same  time. 

Sally's  opinion  was  and  is,  that  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  has 
something  up  her  sleeve;  that  she  won't  write  to  me  be 
cause  she  wants  to  show  how  hurt  and  scandalised  she  is 
by  my  ungracious  conduct,  but  that  she  has  some  idea 
for  getting  even  with  me  sooner  or  later.  If  she  hadn't 
that  to  keep  her  up,  Sally  thinks  she  couldn't  have  re 
sisted  answering  my  letter  with  a  tirade.  Fortunately 
she  can't  claw  me  away  from  the  Trowbridges  and  make 
me  marry  Potter— even  if  he  would  have  me  now,  after 
all  my  badness — otherwise  she  would  perhaps  have  tried 
to  act  at  once.  And  she  can't  have  me  put  in  prison  on 
bread  and  water  and  solitary  confinement,  as  no  doubt  she 
would  like  to  do.  Still,  I  don't  feel  quite  easy  in  my 
mind  about  her  silence,  lest  Sally  may  be  right  about 
some  disagreeable  plan  she's  hatching.  However,  as  long 
as  Mr.  Brett  is  here,  I  feel  as  if  he  would  contrive  not  to 
let  anything  very  dreadful  happen  to  me. 

I've  found  out  everything  about  all  the  members  of  the 
family  at  Valley  Farm,  now ;  and  I've  got  acquainted  with 
most  of  the  neighbours.  They  call  them  neighbours  if 
they  live  anywhere  within  twelve  or  fifteen  miles,  and  a 
good  many  are  related  to  each  other,  or  connected  by 
marriage,  while  even  those  who  are  not  have  mostly  known 
each  other  ever  since  they  were  children;  probably  went 
to  school  together  at  a  funny  little  white-painted,  wooden 
building  on  a  hill,  which  is  the  "  district  school."  It  must 
be  rather  fun  to  teach  in  it,  because  if  some  American 
stories  I've  read  since  I  came  here  are  true  to  life,  you 
board  first  at  one  house  and  then  another,  giving  good 
advice  and  helping  everyone;  and  all  the  young  men  in 
the  country  round  about  fall  in  love  with  you.  I  thought, 


276    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

if  Mother  should  be  too  angry  with  me  for  refusing  Potter 
Parker  and  running  away,  to  let  me  come  home  again,  I 
might  apply  for  such  a  situation;  but  it  seems  that  now 
adays  you  have  to  know  a  great  deal,  and  I  should  never 
be  taken  on,  because,  unfortunately,  I  have  to  do  the 
multiplication  table  on  my  fingers. 

Mr.  Trowbridge,  although  a  farmer  who  works  in  his 
own  fields,  is  an  "  Honourable."  I  was  surprised  when 
I  heard  that,  as  I  didn't  suppose  people  had  titles  in 
America.  But  he's  a  senator  or  something  in  his  own 
State,  which  is  very  important,  so  he  is  called  Honourable 
officially — and  on  letters,  as  one  is  at  home  if  that's  all  one 
can  scrape  up  by  way  of  a  courtesy  title. 

The  two  young  men  who  come  in  to  eat  with  us,  but  are 
never  seen  about  the  house  at  any  other  time,  are  "  farm 
hands,"  though  they  are  not  treated  at  all  like  servants, 
and  Mr.  Trowbridge  lends  them  the  newest  books  and 
magazines  (of  which  he  has  quantities)  to  read  in  the 
evening. 

One,  whose  name  is  Elisha,  was  in  love  with  Patty,  but 
she  didn't  care  for  him,  so  he  is  very  melancholy  and  won't 
talk  at  the  table.  But  he  has  cheered  up  a  little  lately, 
and  has  bought  tall  collars  like  Mr.  Brett's,  instead  of 
wearing  turned-over  ones  which  showed  far  down  his  neck ; 
and  he  has  sent  me  flowers  through  Ide,  several  times.  I 
tried  to  thank  him  for  the  first  ones,  but  he  blushed  so 
much  that  his  forehead  got  damp,  and  immediately  after 
wards  he  went  away  and  hid  for  hours,  which  kept  him 
from  his  supper;  so  I  thought  it  better  to  say  nothing 
about  the  next. 

The  other  young  man,  Albert,  is  paying  attention  to 
Ide.  Nobody  knows  whether  they  are  engaged  yet, 
although  they  go  to  the  apple  orchard  regularly  every 
evening  and  sit  together  in  a  boat  swing  which  is  there,  or 


ABOUT    SOME    COUNTRY    FOLK          277 

if  it  rains  they  sit  on  the  front  porch,  until  quite  late. 
They  don't  seem  to  have  much  to  say  to  each  other, 
though,  for  one  of  my  windows  is  directly  over  that  porch, 
but  I  never  hear  a  sound — not  even  a  laugh.  But  it  seems 
that  in  this  part  of  the  country  it  is  the  thing  for  a  girl 
and  a  young  man  to  be  left  alone  together  as  much  as  pos 
sible  while  they  are  making  up  their  minds  whether  or  not 
they  like  each  other  well  enough  to  be  engaged. 

It  is  very  strange  about  Patty  and  Ide.  Though 
Patty  is  so  quiet,  almost  meek  in  her  ways,  and  dresses  so 
plainly,  and  is  quite  contented  to  work  in  the  hot  kitchen, 
cooking  and  washing  dishes,  it  turns  out  that  she  is  a  very 
rich  girl;  or  will  be.  She  is  an  orphan,  and  her  grand 
father,  although  a  farmer,  has  more  than  a  million  dollars 
(which  sounds  tremendous,  but  wouldn't  be  as  impressive, 
I  suppose,  if  one  did  it  in  pounds)  ;  and  when  he  dies,  as 
he  must  before  long,  as  he  is  very  old,  Patty  will  have  all 
his  money. 

Young  people  get  on  his  nerves,  so  Patty  lives  with  the 
Trowbridges,  who  are  friends  of  his,  and  helps  Mrs. 
Trowbridge  with  her  work.  She  is  so  pretty  and  has  such 
sweet  ways  that  she  might  make  a  success  anywhere,  and 
it  struck  me  as  a  pity  that  she  should  perhaps  marry  some 
young  farmer  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  never  know  any 
other  life  than  this.  I  remarked  something  of  the  sort  to 
Mr.  Brett  when  he  told  me  about  Patty,  and  he  looked  sud 
denly  miserable  as  if  what  I'd  said  had  hurt. 

"  I  thought  you  felt  you  could  be  happy  among  such 
people  as  these,"  he  answered,  rather  irrelevantly. 

Then  I  fancied  that  I  understood  a  little,  for  he  seems 
to  think  that  he  is  like  the  men  here,  but  he  isn't  a  bit, 
oh,  not  the  least  bit  in  the  world,  though  he  says  he  was 
brought  up  on  a  farm  as  a  little  boy,  before  he  ran  away 
and  went  far  out  West,  and  that  it's  only  an  "  accident  of 


278    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

fate  "  he  isn't  an  Albert  or  an  Elisha.  As  if  he  could 
ever  have  been  like  one  of  them!  I  have  never  known  a 
man  as  interesting  as  he. 

Ide  really  is  a  sort  of  servant,  but  she  would  go  away 
instantly  if  anybody  called  her  that;  and  she  is  so  afraid 
someone  may  think  she  is  inferior  to  the  others  in  the 
house  because  she  is  paid  wages  for  her  work,  that  she  does 
her  hair  elaborately,  wears  smarter  dresses  than  the  rest, 
and  puts  herself  rather  forward  with  strangers  so  as  to  im 
press  them.  She  wouldn't  even  like  to  be  called  a  "  help," 
but  says  that  she  "  obliges  "  Mrs.  Trowbridge,  and  she 
wouldn't  stop  long  enough  to  draw  another  breath  if  she 
were  not  treated  better,  if  anything,  than  Patty. 

Even  in  the  East,  in  very  grand  houses,  I  thought  some 
of  the  servants  were  rather  offhand  and  queer,  though  they 
did  consent  to  have  their  meals  in  the  servants'  hall  or 
somewhere,  and  not  sit  in  the  drawing  room.  I  suppose 
the  reason  why  they  are  so  different  with  us,  and  so  polite 
and  well  trained,  is  because  at  home  they  are  willing  to  go 
on  being  servants  all  their  lives,  whereas,  in  America,  it's 
only  a  phase  in  a  person's  career.  You  may  be  a  parlour 
maid  one  year;  the  next  you  may  keep  a  hotel;  and  the 
next  you  may  be  a  millionairess  travelling  in  Europe. 
There's  nothing  to  prevent,  if  it's  in  you,  and  naturally 
you  always  hope  it  is. 

The  Trowbridges'  neighbours  are  almost  as  nice  as  they 
are.  After  I  had  been  here  two  or  three  days  I  was  feed 
ing  the  chickens  with  Mr.  Trowbridge  after  "  tea,"  when 
a  man  and  woman  came  up  the  avenue.  They  were 
countrified  looking  and  rather  awkward,  I  thought  at 
first  glance,  which  was  the  only  one  I  took,  as  I  at  once 
left  Mr.  Trowbridge  to  talk  with  the  newcomers  and  went 
away.  It  wasn't  Ide's  time  yet  to  sit  with  Albert,  so  I 
found  an  apple,  and  sat  and  rocked  in  the  boat  swing  with 


ABOUT    SOME    COUNTRY    FOLK          279 

a  book  I'd  left  there  earlier  in  the  afternoon.  Presently, 
however,  down  ran  Patty  to  ask  if  I  would  mind  coming 
back  to  the  house,  as  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Engelhorn  had  come 
especially  to  see  me. 

"  To  see  me?  "  I  repeated.     "  What  for?  " 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  they  thought  it  would  be  polite  to  call," 
said  Patty.  "  They're  such  nice  people.  They  have  the 
farm  with  the  low  house  opposite  this.  Mrs.  Engelhorn 
was  a  city  girl.  Her  father  is  the  best  jeweller  in  Arcona, 
and  her  brother  has  the  biggest  steam  cleaning  establish 
ment  there.  She's  been  beautifully  educated,  and  he's 
very  intelligent.  I  guess  you'll  like  them." 

"  Oh,  I'll  come,  of  course,"  I  said.  "  I  didn't  dream  they 
wanted  to  gee  me."  But  I  would  much  rather  have  stopped 
where  I  was  and  read  the  book.  Of  course  it's  only  preju 
dice,  and  the  way  one  has  been  brought  up  which  makes 
one  feel  as  if  it  were  odd  to  meet  tradespeople,  and  it's 
nonsense,  too ;  for  as  soon  as  they  get  horribly  rich  nobody 
seems  to  mind  nowadays,  which  shows  how  little  sense  there 
is  in  the  idea.  Still,  I  did  want  to  laugh,  though  I 
was  ashamed  of  myself;  but  a  picture  of  Mother  being 
called  on  formally  by  a  steam  cleaner  would  come  up  be 
fore  me. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Engelhorn  had  put  on  their  best  clothes, 
and  they  were  dears.  I  was  as  agreeable  as  I  knew  how  to 
be,  and  after  I  had  been  with  them  a  little  while,  I  felt  that 
it  was  they  who  were  superior.  They  talked  about  the 
most  interesting  and  learned  things,  just  as  Mr.  Trow- 
bridge  does,  and  in  the  same  simple,  modest  way.  We 
went  into  the  parlour,  where  Mrs.  Engelhorn  played  as 
well  as  a  professional,  and  sang  exquisitely,  in  a  culti 
vated  contralto  voice.  I  could  have  cried  to  see  how  work- 
worn  her  hands  looked,  as  they  flew  so  cleverly  over  the 
keys  of  Mrs.  Trowbridge's  splendid  Steinway  Grand 


280    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

piano,  which  is  much  finer  and  in  better  condition  than 
ours  at  home.  After  they  had  gone,  Mr.  Trowbridge 
told  me  that  Mr.  Engelhorn  is  the  greatest  authority  on 
geology  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  that  he  knows  just  as  much 
about  botany,  and  is  a  fine  Greek  and  Latin  scholar,  hav 
ing  picked  up  all  his  knowledge  himself  without  any 
University  training.  Americans  are  wonderful! 

Other  people  just  as  interesting  in  different  ways  have 
been,  since,  and  there  was  only  one  I  didn't  like.  He  came 
yesterday,  and  is  a  dissenting  parson,  a  Congregationalist, 
I  think,  though  I  don't  know  what  that  means,  or  how  it's 
different  from  a  Methodist  or  a  Presbyterian.  He  and 
his  wife  arrived  to  noon  dinner,  and  I  had  to  be  civil  be 
cause  the  Trowbridges  respect  them  very  much;  but  it 
was  difficult  when  the  man  said  that  England  was  the  most 
immoral  and  decaying  country  in  the  world,  and  his  wife 
echoed  him.  He  is  a  smug  old  fellow  with  a  fringe  of  grey 
fluff  growing  out  all  round  under  his  chin ;  and  his  upper 
lip,  very  long  and  shaved,  is  like  the  straight  cover  you 
see  on  mantelpieces  in  country  hotels. 

I  summoned  courage  to  stand  up  for  England,  and  the 
wife — a  fat,  sallow  creature  with  three  chins  and  a  dis- 
senting-looking  chignon — glared  at  me  as  if  she  expected 
white  bears  to  crawl  out  from  under  the  table  and  gobble 
me  up. 

"  Why  do  you  think  England  is  such  a  wicked  coun 
try?"  I  asked. 

"  Because,  to  mention  only  one  reason  [as  if  the  others 
were  too  bad  to  tell]  your  clergymen  are  put  into  their 
places  by  patronage,  without  any  regard  to  their  qualifi 
cations  as  teachers  of  religion." 

"  At  least  they're  gentlemen,"  I  snapped. 

"  Superficially,  they  may  be,"  he  admitted,  as  if  to 
pry  under  the  surface  would  be  worse  than  "  scratching 


ABOUT    SOME    COUNTRY    FOLK  281 

a  Russian  to  find  a  Tartar."  "  But  they  are  Puppets  and 
Sycophants." 

Unluckily  I  don't  know  what  a  sycophant  is  exactly, 
so  it  would  have  been  dangerous  to  argue;  and  anyway, 
before  I  could  get  out  another  word  he  had  gone  on  again. 

"Mrs.  Panter  and  myself  had  a  chance  to  go  to  Great 
Britain  last  year,"  he  said.  "  Our  congregation  offered 
us  the  trip  with  Cook's  tickets,  for  ten  weeks,  to  show  their 
appreciation  of  my  services.  But  after  reflection,  we 
decided  not  to  undertake  the  tour.  I  have  no  wish  to 
see  England  as  it  is  to-day.  Such  illusions  as  are  left  to 
me  I  would  rather  keep.  It  would  depress  me  to  visit  a 
country  which  is  going  down  hill  as  Britain  is,  morally, 
financially  and  intellectually.  Trade  is  leaving  her,  and 
coming  to  us.  We  are  getting  her  shipping,  we  are  tak 
ing  away  her  steel  and  iron  market  for  all  the  world,  and 
she  deserves  to  have  lost  what  she  is  losing;  still,  London 
must  be  a  sad  sight  to  those  who  have  eyes  to  see, 
and " 

"  I  don't  think  you'd  find  that  grass  has  begun  to  grow 
in  Bond  Street  yet,"  said  I.  "  And  if  you  fancy  that 
our  finances  are  in  such  a  bad  way,  you  had  better  read  the 
Blue  Book." 

I  did  think  this  was  smart  of  me,  for  I  hardly  know 
the  Blue  Book  from  a  Book  of  Beauty,  but  I've  heard  Stan 
say  that  you're  obliged  to  believe  it,  and  that  it  proves 
England  to  be  increasing  every  year  in  prosperity.  So  I 
was  glad  I  remembered  to  speak  of  it,  and  catching  Mr. 
Brett's  eyes  I  saw  such  a  twinkling  smile  in  them  that  I 
hurried  to  look  away,  or  I  should  have  laughed  and  spoiled 
everything. 

There  couldn't  be  a  greater  contrast  between  two  men 
than  between  the  Reverend  Jonas  Panter  and  the  great 
Whit  Walker  of  the  Emporium  at  Hermann's  Corners. 


282    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

We  drove  to  Mr.  Walker's  after  the  Panters  had  gone,  as 
we  all  felt  (though  nobody  put  it  precisely  into  words) 
that  we  wanted  some  enlivening. 

We  didn't  start  until  after  "  tea,"  as  the  Emporium  is 
always  open  till  half  past  nine,  and  there  was  going  to  be 
an  "  ice  cream  festival  "  there  that  night.  I  didn't  know 
what  an  ice  cream  festival  meant,  but  Mr.  Trowbridge  said 
I  should  see  for  myself,  and  it  would  probably  be  different 
from  anything  I  had  yet  experienced. 

Everybody  from  the  farm  went  except  Elisha,  who 
didn't  wish  to,  as  he  is  not  quite  happy  yet,  and  is  prac 
tising  the  flute  of  evenings.  Mr.  Trowbridge  and  Mr. 
Brett  and  I  all  drove  in  the  buggy.  It  was  rather  a 
squeeze  in  one  seat,  but  it  was  fun,  and  we  were  very  merry. 
I  like  buggies,  though  they  do  sound  almost  improper  to  an 
English  ear,  and  it  makes  it  seem  more  amusing,  somehow, 
because  they  talk  about  going  for  "  a  ride  "  instead  of  a 
drive. 

The  rest  all  squashed  into  a  big  wagon,  and  sat  on  the 
hay.  I  would  have  gone  in  that  way  too,  but  Mr.  Trow 
bridge  wanted  me  to  try  his  horse ;  and  we  could  hear  the 
others  laughing  every  minute  as  they  came  jolting  on 
behind  us. 

It  was  about  seven  miles  to  Hermann's  Corners,  and 
after  a  lovely  drive  through  charming,  peaceful  country 
we  arrived  just  as  it  was  beginning  to  be  dusk. 

I  couldn't  have  imagined  such  a  place  as  the  Emporium, 
and  when  I  was  in  the  thick  of  it  I  said  to  myself  that  it 
would  be  worth  one's  while  coming  over  to  the  States  just 
to  visit  it,  if  nothing  else.  If  I  had  to  choose  between,  I 
believe  I'd  rather  see  it  than  Niagara  Falls ;  for  one  knows 
Niagara  Falls  from  biographs  and  things,  and  nothing 
short  of  actually  seeing  could  give  one  the  slightest  idea 
of  Mr.  Whit  Walker  and  his  Emporium. 


ABOUT    SOME    COUNTRY    FOLK  283 

My  first  impression  of  the  Emporium  was  a  huge,  ram 
bling  wooden  building  rather  like  a  vast  barn  with  a  dozen 
smaller  barns  tacked  on  to  it,  and  windows  let  in.  It  is 
painted  pea-green,  and  has  a  rough  verandah  running 
partly  round  it — a  high  verandah  with  no  steps,  or  if  any, 
at  such  long  intervals  that  you  must  search  for  them. 
But  as  there's  no  pavement  we  just  scrambled  out  of  the 
buggy  and  cart  onto  the  verandah,  and  there  we  were 
landed  among  the  most  extraordinary  collection  of  things 
I  ever  dreamed  of.  The  stock  in  the  Emporium  having 
overflowed  from  the  inside  onto  the  verandah,  we  stumbled 
about  among  boxes  of  eggs,  sewing  machines,  crates  of 
dishes,  garden  tools,  brooms,  rocking  chairs,  perambu 
lators,  boots,  "  canned "  fruit,  children's  toys,  luggage, 
green  vegetables,  ice  cream  freezers,  bales  of  calico,  men's 
suits,  piled-up  books,  clothes  lines,  and  a  thousand  other 
"  goods." 

A  number  of  young  men  were  sitting  about  on  the  big 
gest  of  the  boxes,  and  on  chicken  coops,  wherever  they 
could  clear  a  space,  and  had  the  air  of  being  in  a  club. 
Our  party  knew  them,  almost  all,  and  they  exchanged 
"  how  do  you  do's."  Mr.  Brett  seemed  the  only  stranger; 
but  as  he  told  me,  he  hasn't  often  visited  his  cousins. 

From  the  open  doors  and  windows  of  the  Emporium 
streamed  out  the  strangely  mingled  smells  of  all  the 
things  in  the  world  which  happened  to  be  missing  on  the 
verandah,  and  most  of  those  that  were  there.  As  a  fra 
grance  it  was  indescribable,  but  it  was  nice,  and  rather  ex 
citing,  I  don't  know  why,  unless  there  was  a  quantity  of 
spice  in  it. 

Just  as  we  threaded  our  way  through  the  groups  of 
young  men,  who  looked  at  us  a  good  deal,  people  were  light 
ing  the  gas  in  the  Emporium.  It  was  incandescent,  and 
blazed  up  suddenly  with  a  fierce  light  as  if  it  were  a  volcano 


284    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

having  an  eruption.  All  the  women  inside  (there  was 
quite  a  crowd  of  them,  bareheaded,  or  in  perfectly  fascin 
ating  frilled  sunbonnets),  shrieked  and  then  giggled.  A 
man  who  was  surrounded  by  girls  said  something  we 
couldn't  hear,  which  made  everybody  laugh;  and  Mr. 
Trowb ridge  exclaimed: 

"  That's  Whit,  sure,  holding  court.  Couldn't  be  any 
body  else." 

"  And  I  guess  that's  the  Honourable,"  said  the  voice 
we  had  heard — such  a  nice  voice;  it  was  enough  to  make 
you  laugh  with  pleasure  just  to  hear  it — and  the  head  we 
could  see  towering  over  the  sunbonnets  began  to  move 
towards  us.  The  girls  edged  away  good-naturedly,  and 
there  was  a  man  almost  as  fine-looking  as  Mr.  Brett,  smil 
ing  at  us,  and  holding  out  his  big  hand. 

Everything  was  big  about  him;  his  voice,  his  brown 
throat,  his  shoulders,  and  his  good  white  smile,  shining 
with  kindness  and  two  rows  of  perfect  teeth ;  his  nature, 
too,  as  you  could  see  by  his  beaming,  humorous  grey  eyes, 
and  the  generous  dimple  in  his  square  chin. 

"  Whit,  this  is  the  little  English  ladyship  I've  told  you 
about,  who's  staying  over  at  our  house,"  said  Mr.  Trow- 
bridge.  So  we  were  introduced,  and  the  great  Whit 
shook  my  hand  with  a  vigorous  magnetism  which  made  me 
feel  I  would  like  to  clap,  and  give  him  three  cheers. 

He  is  the  sort  of  man  I  should  try  to  make  President  of 
the  United  States,  if  I  were  an  American ;  and  I'm  sure  he 
would  get  lots  of  votes  from  his  part  of  the  country  if  he 
were  nominated. 

"  I'm  real  pleased  to  meet  you,"  said  he,  "  and  I'm  hon 
oured  to  have  you  visit  my  store.  Say,  I  guess  some  of 
our  American  leading  ladies  will  have  to  get  a  hustle  on  if 
they  want  to  save  themselves  now  you're  over  here.  I 
didn't  know  they  made  'em  like  that  on  your  side.  I  tell 


ABOUT    SOME    COUNTRY    FOLK  285 

you  what  it  is,  Honourable,  I  won't  have  much  use  for 
some  of  our  fellows  if  they  let  her  go  back,  eh?  Now, 
ma'am,  you  just  tell  me  what  handle  I'm  to  put  to  your 
name,  so  I  won't  make  any  fool  mistake,  and  then  we  can 
get  ahead  like  a  house  on  fire." 

"  I'm  usually  called  Lady  Betty,"  I  said,  feeling  an 
idiot,  as  everyone  was  standing  round  in  a  ring. 

"What,  at  the  first  go?  No,  ma'am,  I  couldn't  do  it. 
I  haven't  got  the  cool,  ingrowing  nerve.  Couldn't  I  make 
it  Countess,  to  show  my  respect?  " 

"  But  I'm  not  a  Countess,"  I  laughed. 

"  Well,  I  guess  I'll  just  go  one  better  and  raise  you  to 
Princess,  then.  It's  the  best  I  can  do,  having  been  reared 
with  plain  Misses  and  Mississes.  You  look  like  a  Princess, 
anyhow,  and  the  Queen  might  be  proud  to  have  you  for  a 
cousin.  Now  we've  fixed  that  up,  maybe  you'll  let 
me  show  you  around  the  premises,  and  you  can  tell  me 
if  the  Emporium  bears  any  resemblance  to  your  London 
stores." 

"  Very  well,  Prince,  I  shall  be  delighted,"  said  I,  and 
he  laughed  a  nice,  mellow  roar. 

It  was  a  great  thing,  I  soon  found,  for  a  visitor  to  be 
escorted  by  the  proprietor  of  the  Emporium.  Never  was 
such  a  popular  and  much-sought-for  man  as  he.  He  was 
wanted  everywhere  by  everybody.  People  felt  aggrieved 
if  they  had  to  go  away  without  at  least  a  hearty  "  How  do 
you  do?  "  from  Whit.  There  were  several  attendants, 
quite  dashing  young  men,  but  they  were  mere  ciphers 
compared  to  the  "  boss." 

Accompanied  by  Mr.  Walker  and  Patty,  whom  he  chose 
as  the  companion  of  our  explorations,  we  went  upstairs 
and  downstairs,  and  left  no  corner  of  the  Emporium  un- 
visited. 

"  Aren't  you  afraid  to  leave  so  many  things  outside  on 


286    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

the  verandah? "  I  asked.  "  Suppose  they  should  be 
stolen?" 

The  great  man  only  laughed,  but  a  lanky  customer  who 
overheard  drawled  out: 

"  What,  steal  from  Whit  Walker  of  Hermann's  Cor 
ners?  Wa'al,  I  guess  the  skunk  mean  enough  to  do  that 
would  get  himself  lynched  by  every  decent  chap  in  this 
darned  county." 

"  I've  got  one  friend,  you  see,  Princess,"  chuckled  my 
king  of  the  Emporium. 

"  You've  got  two,"  said  I. 

"  Well,  now,  that's  mighty  pretty  of  you.  Say,  do  you 
mean  it,  honour  bright?  " 

"  Honour  bright,"  I  repeated. 

"  Then  I  wonder  if  I  might  ask  a  little  favour  of  you?  " 

"Of  course.     What  is  it?" 

"  I'll  tell  you  before  we  part.  But  come  on  down  now, 
girls.  I  want  you  should  both  choose  a  present  to  take 
home." 

We  picked  our  way  down  the  steep  stairs,  littered  with 
the  overflow  from  shelves  and  counters.  In  the  principal 
"  show  room,"  if  one  could  call  it  that,  he  pressed  us  to 
accept  some  jewellery — poor  stuff,  but  the  best  he  had,  and 
he  ingenuously  admired  it.  We  steadfastly  refused,  how 
ever,  and  Patty  took  a  Japanese  fan,  while  I  selected  sev 
eral  choice  specimens  of  chewing  gum,  as  being  novel  and 
characteristic. 

By  this  time  the  "  ice  cream  festival "  was  beginning. 
It  was  held  in  a  vacant  lot  behind  the  Emporium,  and  a 
canvas  awning  had  been  put  up  over  two  or  three  dozen 
bare  tables  on  the  grass.  Several  employees  of  the  "  store  " 
— extra  hands,  perhaps — were  kept  frantically  busy  lad 
ling  out  from  huge  freezers  into  earthenware  saucers  big 
slabs  of  frozen  custard.  All  the  gallant  young  beaux  of 


ABOUT    SOME    COUNTRY    FOLK  287 

the  neighbourhood  "  treated "  the  girls  they  wished  to 
favour,  and  spent  ten  cents  a  saucer  for  the  "  ice  cream," 
with  a  big  sugared  "  cooky  "  thrown  in.  The  great  Whit 
himself  invited  me  to  sit  down  with  him,  so  Mr.  Brett  who 
had  been  coming  up  to  ask  Patty  and  me  both,  perhaps, 
whisked  Patty  away,  leaving  me  to  Mr.  Walker. 

"  Now,  I'll  tell  you  that  favour  I  want,"  said  he.  "  I 
hope  you  won't  think  I'm  presuming  too  much  on  a  short 
acquaintance,  but  it's  a  mighty  important  thing  for  me. 
It's  about  that  little  gal  over  there." 

"Patty?"  I  asked. 

He  nodded. 

"  Nobody  else.  There  ain't  anybody  else,  so  far  as  I'm 
concerned;  meaning  no  disrespect  to  you,  Princess.  My 
old  friend  the  Honourable  says  she  just  worships  you,  and 
would  lie  down  and  let  you  walk  over  her  if  you  wanted." 

"  I  didn't  know,"  I  said. 

"  Well,  it's  gospel  truth,  I  guess,  and  I  don't  blame 
her.  If  you " 

"  She  has  been  sweet  to  me,"  I  interrupted.  "  Why, 
what  do  you  think  she  did,  when  I  mentioned  that  the  huge 
bells  on  Mr.  Jacobsen's  cows  kept  me  awake  nights?  You 
know  how  that  one  field  of  Mr.  Jacobsen's,  which  he  won't 
sell,  comes  into  Mr.  Trowbridge's  farm,  and  he  keeps  his 
cows  there  to  be  disagreeable?  Well,  Patty  got  up  in  the 
night,  and  climbed  on  the  fence  and  caught  the  cows  by 
offering  them  salt.  Then  she  held  on  by  their  ears,  and 
tied  rags  over  their  bells — horrid,  loud  bells — so  they  could 
make  no  noise.  Only  fancy,  and  some  of  those  cows  are 
awfully  fierce.  The  rags  have  stopped  on  ever  since; 
that  was  the  way  I  found  out,  for  she  didn't  tell  for 
days." 

"It's  just  like  that  pretty,  quiet  little  thing,"  said 
Mr.  Walker.  "  I  wish  she'd  be  that  sweet  to  me.  I  want  her 


288    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

mighty  bad  to  have  me,  Princess,  but  she's  read  novels,  I 
guess,  and  anyhow,  she  doesn't  think  I'm  romantic  enough. 
I  was  always  kind  of  afraid  there  was  somebody  else. 
Now  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  it  ain't  that  good-looking  young 
cousin  of  the  Trowbridges.  Couldn't  you  find  out  for  me, 
as  she  thinks  such  a  lot  of  you?  And  if  she  hasn't  got 
her  heart  too  much  set  on  anybody  else,  could  you  try  to 
use  your  influence  for  me?  You  see,  you're  a  travelled 
lady,  though  you're  so  young,  and  if  you  could  say  I  was 
a  man,  in  your  opinion,  it  might  make  all  the  difference." 

"  You  can  depend  on  me  to  do  my  best,"  I  said.  But  I 
didn't  feel  amused  and  full  of  fun  any  more,  as  I  looked 
over  at  Patty  and  Mr.  Brett.  If  she  admires  him — and 
how  could  she  help  it? — there's  no  reason  why  he  shouldn't 
admire  her,  when  one  comes  to  think  of  it.  She  is  pretty 
and  sweet,  a  perfect  little  lady,  and  an  heiress. 

I  can't  get  used  to  the  idea.  The  cowbells  didn't  ring 
at  all  last  night,  but  I  couldn't  sleep  for  thinking  of  it, 
and  for  telling  myself  that  perhaps  this  is  why  Mr.  Brett 
looked  queer  when  I  spoke  of  Patty  marrying  a  farmer. 


XIX 

ABOUT  GETTING  ENGAGED 

I  FELT  when  I  got  up  this  morning  that  I  was  in  a 
dreadfully  embarrassing  and  uncomfortable  position 
about  Patty  and  my  promise  to  Mr.  Walker.  If  I 
kept  it,  and  tried  to  use  my  influence  with  her,  it  might 
be  that  I  would  be  working  against  Mr.  Brett.  It  would  be 
hateful  to  do  that,  as  we  are  such  friends ;  but  I  was  afraid 
there  must  be  something  rather  catty  in  my  nature, 
(though  I  never  thought  so  before)  because  I  could  not 
approve  of  a  marriage  between  him  and  Patty.  My  pri 
vate  opinion  was  that  Patty  wasn't  at  all  the  sort  of  girl 
to  make  him  happy ;  but  I  didn't  dare  to  depend  too  much 
on  the  wisdom  of  my  opinion,  lest  it  should  be  biassed  by 
prejudice.  It  is  so  hard  when  you  have  a  friend  who  has 
been  all  yours,  to  see  that  some  other  girl  may  be  more 
congenial  to  him  than  you  are,  and  that  the  best  thing  for 
him  would  be  to  fall  in  love  with  her. 

Mr.  Brett  has  known  Patty  for  a  long  time,  and  though 
he  hasn't  been  here  often,  he  has  made  flying  visits  some 
times,  I  know;  and  even  Patty  and  Ide  both  call  him 
"  Jim  " ;  never  Mr.  Brett.  I  reminded  myself  as  I  thought 
it  all  over,  that  probably  one  reason  why  he  wanted  to 
stay  with  his  cousins  now  was  to  see  Patty  again,  not  in 
the  least  because  of  his  friendship  with  me,  which  is  quite 
a  recent  thing  compared  to  his  acquaintance  with  Patty. 
I  had  to  admit  that  though  we  have  been  such  friends,  all 
he  has  done  for  me  could  easily  be  accounted  for  by  that 
American  chivalry  to  women,  on  which  the  men  over  here 

289 


290    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

are  so  keen  as  a  nation,  rather  than  any  particular  liking 
for  me  as  a  girl.  And  I  must  have  a  horrid,  exacting  dis 
position,  because  discovering  this  made  me  feel  absolutely 
ill.  I  was  so  jealous  of  Patty,  because  she  could  perhaps 
take  away  my  best  friend  and  have  him  for  her  lover,  that 
all  her  pretty  little  ways  and  looks  quite  annoyed  me,  and 
I  felt  I  could  have  slapped  her. 

Such  feelings  made  me  hate  myself,  for  it  is  so  un 
pleasant  finding  out  suddenly  that  you  are  a  brute;  yet 
I  would  not  indulge  my  wicked  heart  by  telling  Patty  that 
she  ought  to  marry  Mr.  Walker.  I  could  scarcely  eat 
any  breakfast  or  dinner,  and  early  in  the  afternoon  I 
crept  out  of  doors,  very  miserable.  I  felt  that  Vivace 
was  the  only  being  on  earth  who  really  cared  for  me,  and 
even  he  was  more  interested  at  the  time  in  a  rabbit  hole 
he  had  found  than  in  my  society.  He  wouldn't  come  away 
from  it  when  I  called,  so  I  bundled  him  under  my  arm,  and 
walked  off  with  him  to  the  sugar  camp,  where  I  could  be 
alone,  and  think  things  over,  without  having  people  say  I 
looked  pale,  and  ask  whether  the  ice  cream  festival  at 
Hermann's  Corners  had  given  me  a  headache. 

Patty  and  Ide  had  decided  to  make  maple  candy  and 
"  chocolate  fudge  "  after  dinner,  so  that  we  could  have 
it  to  eat  in  the  evening,  and  Mr.  Brett  and  I  had  promised 
to  help.  American  girls  always  seem  to  make  candy  if 
they  have  nothing  else  more  interesting  to  do,  and  usually 
I  think  it  very  entertaining.  Carolyn  Pitchley's  often 
went  wrong,  and  she  would  keep  several  servants  busy 
clearing  away  plates  and  spoons,  bringing  fresh  ones,  and 
cleaning  out  the  chafing  dish  which  she  had  burnt.  But 
Patty  and  Ide  are  cleverer;  they  do  everything  for  them 
selves;  and  I  should  have  enjoyed  helping,  if  I  had  been 
in  a  different  mood.  As  it  was,  I  would  have  realised 


ABOUT    GETTING    ENGAGED  291 

that  I  was  an  outsider,  and  that  maybe  they  would  be 
gayer  without  me,  though  they  are  always  so  polite.  I 
had  slipped  away  without  speaking  to  anyone,  and  as  I 
was  pretty  sure  that  no  one  would  come  to  the  sugar 
camp  at  this  time  of  day,  I  could  let  myself  be  as  gloomy 
as  I  liked. 

I  sat  there  in  the  deep  green  shade  of  the  maples,  on  the 
log  where  Mr.  Brett  and  I  had  talked  the  first  day  I  came 
to  the  Valley  Farm.  All  the  disagreeable  things  that 
ever  happened  to  me  since  I  was  a  child  took  this  oppor 
tunity  to  stir  in  their  graves  and  come  to  life  again. 
Then  they  sat  down  in  front  of  me  in  a  dreary  semicircle, 
staring  me  in  the  face  until  I  couldn't  stand  it  any 
longer,  and  began  to  cry.  Vivace  was  very  much  sur 
prised,  and  jumped  up  with  his  paws  in  my  lap,  as  if  he 
were  saying,  "What  is  the  matter?"  This  was  a  com 
fort,  and  I  put  my  head  down  on  his,  with  my  arms  round 
his  neck,  and  cried  more. 

If  you  once  let  yourself  go,  like  that,  you  can't  stop. 
Hearing  your  own  little  chokes  and  gasps  makes  you 
pity  yourself  so  much  that  your  heart  nearly  breaks.  I 
was  sobbing  out  loud,  presently,  which  made  Vivace  whine, 
and  I  had  almost  begun  to  enjoy  my  utter  forlornness  and 
the  distinction  of  being  the  most  miserable  person  in  the 
whole  world  when  a  distracted  voice  exclaimed : 

"  Why,  Lady  Betty,  Lady  Betty,  for  heaven's  sake 
what's  happened?  " 

I  looked  up  all  teary  and  flushed,  and  there  was  Mr. 
Brett,  staring  at  me  with  horrified  eyes,  and  his  face  as 
desperate  as  if  he  had  found  me  struck  by  lightning  or 
gored  by  the  black  and  white  bull. 

I  was  so  ashamed  and  confused  that  I  couldn't  speak, 
but  just  sat  there  gazing  up  helplessly  at  him  with  tears 


292    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

running  down  my  cheeks,  and  my  lips  trembling.  The 
most  awful  look  came  into  his  eyes,  and  he  went  as  pale 
as  I  was  red. 

"  My  precious  one,  my  darling ! "  he  stammered,  and 
dropping  down  on  one  knee  by  the  big  log,  he  put  his  arms 
round  me. 

"  Oh !  "  I  said.  And  then  my  head  was  nestling  down 
into  his  neck,  and  instead  of  being  wretched  I  was  per 
fectly  happy. 

"  Who  has  dared  to  make  you  cry  ?  "  he  asked,  holding 
me  close. 

"  You,"  I  answered. 

"  I?  " 

"  I  thought  you  were  only  being  kind  to  me  because — 
because  you're  an  American  and  it's  your  duty  to  a 
foreigner." 

He  laughed  at  that — an  excited,  happy  laugh,  with  a 
queer  break  in  it. 

"  I've  been  half  out  of  my  mind  with  love  for  you,  ever 
since  the  first  day  I  saw  you  looking  down  at  me  in  the 
steerage.  Am  I  quite  out  of  it  now,  or  can  it  be  true 
that  you  care  for  me — just  a  little,  little  bit?  " 

"  I  care  for  you,  dreadfully"  said  I.  "  Why,  this  isn't 
friendship,  is  it?  It's  being  in  love." 

"  I  should  think  it  was— with  me,"  he  said.  "  It's  all 
of  me,  heart,  soul  and  body,  drowning  in  love." 

"  Don't  drown,"  I  whispered  to  him.  "  I — can't  spare 
you." 

After  that  we  didn't  say  a  word,  but  I  hadn't  supposed 
it  was  possible  for  any  human  creature  to  feel  so  seraphi- 
cally  happy  as  I  did.  I  don't  know  how  long  a  time  passed 
before  we  even  spoke,  but  it  seemed  only  a  minute — a  min 
ute  stolen  straight  out  of  heaven.  And  he  was  so  hand 
some  and  dear  that  I  would  have  kept  that  minute  forever 


ABOUT    GETTING    ENGAGED  293 

if  I  could,  for  it  was  impossible  to  believe  that  another 
could  be  so  perfect. 

But  by  and  by  it  did  merge  into  sister  minutes,  just  as 
good,  and  we  began  to  talk  and  tell  each  other  things. 

He  told  me  again  how  he'd  loved  me  from  the  very  first 
instant,  and  I  told  him  that  after  the  day  on  the  dock,  if 
not  before,  I'd  never  quite  had  him  out  of  my  thoughts 
for  a  moment. 

"  There  has  always  been  a  sort  of  undertone  of  you,"  I 
went  on,  "  no  matter  what  else  I  was  thinking  of,  just  as 
Sally  says,  when  you  are  near  the  sea  you  hear  it  through 
every  other  sound." 

He  liked  having  me  say  that,  and  his  eyes  are  too 
glorious  when  he  likes  things  that  I  say. 

"  I  loved  you  so  much,"  he  answered,  "  that  I  felt  my 
love  must  have  some  power  over  your  heart ;  it  couldn't  go 
for  nothing.  I  knew  I  wasn't  worthy  of  you,  but  the 
love  was,  for  no  man  in  your  own  world  could  offer  you 
a  greater  one.  That's  my  justification  for  asking  you  to 
put  your  hand  in  mine.  But  am  I  asking  too  much? 
Are  you  sure  you  won't  regret  anything  you  may  have  to 
give  up  ?  " 

"  There's  nothing  I  wouldn't  give  up  to  be  with  you 
always,"  I  assured  him.  "  But  I  don't  see  that  I  shall 
have  to  give  up  much  that  I  really  care  for.  We  shall 
be  poor,  of  course,  but  I  shan't  mind  that  a  bit — with  you. 
We  can  live  in  a  sweet  little  cottage  somewhere,  can't  we? 
Or  if  you  have  to  be  in  a  town,  we  shall  have  a  wee,  wee 
flat,  and  it  will  be  such  fun  looking  after  it,  just  like 
having  a  doll's  house,  only  a  hundred  times  better.  I've 
never  been  rich,  you  know ;  it's  always  been  rather  a  strug 
gle,  and  ever  so  many  of  my  dresses  have  been  made  out 
of  Mother's  or  Victoria's.  I  shall  learn  to  cook  and  sew." 

"  If  I  were  so  poor  as  all  that,  darling,  I  shouldn't  be 


294    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

asking  you  to  marry  me,"  said  Jim.  "  I'm  better  off  than 
you  think,  for  as  I  told  you,  I've  been  doing  fairly  well 
lately,  and  I  guess  if  one  of  us  two  ever  has  to  cook  it 
will  be  I.  We  might  have  to  do  that  sometimes,  but  it 
will  only  be  if  we're  camping  somewhere." 

"  I  do  hope  so.     It  would  be  glorious !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  We  can  have  the  cottage  or  the  flat  all  right,  or  maybe 
even  both  if  things  go  on  as  well  as  they're  going  now," 
he  said,  "  and  there's  nothing  on  God's  earth  I  won't  do 
to  make  you  happy.  Heavens !  I  should  think  so,  after 
what  you're  doing  for  me — trusting  me,  without  knowing 
any  more  of  me  than  you've  seen  in  these  few  weeks " 

"  I'd  have  trusted  you  to  the  world's  end,  after  the  day 
you  jumped  overboard  and  saved  the  little  boy.  Besides, 
you  were  you;  and  I'd  have  trusted  you  just  the  same  if 
you  hadn't." 

"  Bless  you,  my  angel.  But  think  of  the  marriages 
you  might  have  made." 

"  I  couldn't  have  made  more  than  one,  at  least  I  hope 
not,"  said  I,  flippantly.  "  I  could  never  have  married 
anyone  but  you,  so  I  should  have  had  to  be  an  old  maid 
if  you  hadn't  asked  me,  and  think  how  awful  that  would 
have  been.  You  don't  regret  asking  me,  do  you?  " 

"  Regret  ?  Well — it  doesn't  bear  talking  of.  I  sup 
pose  I  ought  to  be  able  to  say  that  I'd  meant  to  keep  my 
love  to  myself,  and  it  only  sprang  out  on  an  ungovernable 
impulse.  But  it  wouldn't  be  true  if  I  did.  I  always 
meant  to  ask  you,  from  the  very  first — though  I  had  little 
enough  hope,  even  up  to  to-day,  that  it  would  be  any 
thing  more  than  friendship  on  your  part.  But  oh,  how 
hard  I  did  mean  to  try  for  you.  My  one  virtue  was  to 
wait  until  you  had  seen  enough  of  other  men — men  of  a 
different  sort — for  you  to  be  sure  you  didn't  prefer  one  of 
them.  And  when  accident  had  put  you  very  near  me,  I 


ABOUT    GETTING    ENGAGED  295 

did  manage  not  to  lose  my  head  and  speak,  while  you  were, 
in  a  way,  under  my  protection,  for  that  would  have  been 
brutal.  But  Heaven  knows — and  Miss  Woodburn  knows 
— that  I  came  mighty  near  it  once  or  twice.  I'm  thankful 
I  didn't.  Now  you  know  the  best  and  worst  of  the  other 
sort  of  man,  and  the  best  and  worst  of  me.  You  see  the 
kind  of  people  whose  blood  runs  in  my  veins,  and  still  you 
are  ready  to  say  that  my  people  shall  be  your  people. 
I'm  not  afraid  of  anything  that  can  happen  now." 

"  You  needn't  be,"  I  said,  slipping  my  other  hand  into 
his — for  he  had  one  of  them  already.  "  Mother  may  be 
vexed  with  me  for  going  against  her  wishes,  but  she  will 
have  to  forgive  me — or  even  if  she  doesn't,  I  shall  have 
you." 

"  I  think  she  will  forgive  you,  darling,"  said  Jim.  "  I 
will  make  her  forgive  you." 

"  I  believe  you  could  make  anybody  do  anything ! "  I 
cried.  "  Sally  will  be  glad  about  this,  I  know.  I  can  see 
now  that  she  must  always  have  hoped  for  it  to  happen, 
though  I  didn't  realise  what  she  meant  at  the  time.  But 
we  had  such  a  talk  in  the  Park  the  day  we  met  you,  about 
marrying  for  love.  And  she  advised  me  that  it  was  the  only 
thing  to  do.  Oh,  I  am  sorry  for  everybody  who  isn't  in 
love,  aren't  you?  And  that  reminds  me,  I  must  try  and 
make  dear  little  Patty  in  love  with  Mr.  Walker.  You'll 
help  me,  won't  you?  " 

The  rest  of  the  day  was  perfectly  divine,  and  it  is  al 
most  as  delightful  to  live  it  over  again  as  I  am  doing  now, 
in  writing  the  story  of  it,  after  we  have  said  good-night. 

We  forgot  all  about  going  back  to  the  house,  until 
some  one  came  out  and  rang  the  bell  for  tea  in  the  field, 
where  we  couldn't  help  hearing.  Then  we  told  the  cousins 
our  news,  and  they  were  immensely  pleased.  They  seemed 
to  think  that  Jim  and  I  were  made  for  each  other,  and 


296    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

Mrs.  Trowbridge  said  she  had  seen  that  it  was  coming,  all 
along. 

After  tea  we  walked  over  to  call  on  Sally,  and  she  was 
just  as  glad  as  I  thought  she  would  be. 

"  You  are  going  to  marry  one  of  the  finest  fellows  on 
earth,  I  believe,"  said  she,  "  and  I  congratulate  you  as 
well  as  him." 

I  do  love  Sally! 


XX 

ABOUT    JIM    AND    THE    DUKE 

IT  was  a  very  different  waking  up  the  next  day.  My 
first  thought  was :  "  Can  it  be  really  true  or  is  it 
only  a  dream  that  I'm  engaged  to  Jim  ?  "  And  I 
almost  cried  for  joy  when  I  was  quite  sure  it  was  true. 

We  both  wrote  letters  to  my  mother,  and  so  did  Sally. 
I  didn't  see  theirs,  but  I  could  guess  what  they  said,  and 
I  could  trust  Sally  to  praise  Jim.  Still,  all  the  praises  in 
the  world  wouldn't  reconcile  Mother  to  what  I  was  going 
to  do.  I  could  hear  her  saying :  "  Who  is  he  ?  "  And  I 
was  sure  she  would  add,  "  How  much  has  he  got? " 
But  whatever  happened,  we  were  not  going  to  give  each 
other  up. 

Jim  had  promised  Mr.  Trowbridge  to  pronounce  judg 
ment  on  a  horse  which  he  thought  of  buying,  and  the  man 
who  wanted  to  sell  the  creature  brought  it  to  the  farm 
about  eleven  o'clock.  Sally  had  come,  to  tell  about  the 
letter  she  had  just  posted  to  Mother,  and  Jim  was  in  the 
sitting  room  writing  his.  I  think  he  had  forgotten  about 
the  horse,  until  Mr.  Trowbridge  appeared,  looking  rather 
excited. 

"  Say,  Jim,"  he  exclaimed,  "  Jake  Jacobsen's  here  with 
the  horse.  He's  round  by  the  barn  now,  and  you  might  as 
well  have  a  look  at  it ;  but  it's  an  awful  brute,  and  I  ain't 
going  to  take  it,  at  any  price." 

"  What's  the  matter  with  the  horse  ?  "  asked  Jim,  seal 
ing  up  his  letter,  and  looking  interested. 

"  It's  mad  crazy,  that's  all ;  but  it's  enough  for  me.  I 

297 


298    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

thought  there  must  be  something  wrong  for  Jake  to  be 
offering  it  at  the  price  he  did.  He  led  it  here,  and  you 
just  ought  to  have  seen  the  brute  dance  and  make  ugly 
eyes  when  first  Albert  and  then  I  tried  to  get  astride  of  it. 
Jake  swears  the  only  reason  he'll  sell  cheap  is  because  his 
wife  has  taken  a  dislike  to  the  horse,  and  what  she  says, 
goes  with  him.  He's  ready  to  bet  anything  the  animal's 
as  mild  as  a  lamb,  only  a  bit  frisky,  and  certainly  it's  as 
handsome  a  beast  as  I  ever  laid  eyes  on.  But  he'll  have 
to  get  rid  of  it  at  the  fair." 

"  I'll  come,"  said  Jim,  getting  up. 

I  jumped  up  too. 

"  Oh,  please  don't  have  anything  to  do  with  such  a 
vicious  creature,"  I  begged.  "  You  might  be  killed." 

Jim  laughed.  "  The  horse  isn't  sired  that  could  kill 
me,  I  reckon.  I  know  them  too  well.  Why,  little  girl,  I 
was  brought  up  among  horses.  You  can  trust  me  not  to 
run  too  big  risks,  now  I've  got  something  to  make  life 
worth  living." 

Stan  has  often  told  me  that  men  hate  girls  to  fuss  over 
them,  so  I  bit  my  lip  and  didn't  tease  any  more,  but  I  was 
far  from  happy.  I  didn't  like  the  look  in  his  eyes. 

"  May  Sally  and  I  go  and  see  the  horse  with  you?  "  I 
meekly  asked. 

"  I'll  ride  him  up  to  the  house,  if  I  find  he's  worth  your 
seeing,"  Jim  said.  "  But  you  mustn't  worry  if  we  don't 
come  this  way  for  awhile.  I  may  have  to  work  with  him 
a  bit  before  he's  ready  to  show  himself  off  to  ladies." 

With  that  he  got  his  hat  and  went  out  with  Mr.  Trow- 
bridge,  who  was  waiting  with  a  twinkle  in  his  eyes. 

"  Oh,  dear,  I  feel  as  if  something  horrid  was  going  to 
happen !  "  I  said  to  Sally,  when  they  had  gone. 

"  Pooh !  "  said  she.  "  I  should  be  sorry  for  the  animal 
who  tried  to  play  tricks  with  that  young  man.  You'll 


ABOUT    JIM  299 

find  you  haven't  known  him,  till  you  see  him  on  a 
horse." 

"  I  daresay  I'm  silly,"  I  admitted.  "  But  I  have  a  pre 
sentiment  of  something.  Let's  go  and  sit  out  on  the  ver 
andah  and  watch.  We  can't  see  the  barn,  but  if  they 
come  out  in  the  farm  road  we  shall  catch  sight  of  them." 

"  All  right,"  said  Sally.  "  The  sun's  hot  on  the  ver 
andah;  but  that's  a  detail." 

Already  Jim  and  Mr.  Trowbridge  had  disappeared,  but 
as  we  were  choosing  the  coolest  place  for  our  chairs,  we 
saw  a  dusty,  nondescript  old  vehicle  rattling  up  the  maple 
avenue,  and  just  about  to  turn  into  the  narrow  road  which 
leads  round  the  side  of  the  house.  The  hood  was  up  to 
protect  the  passengers  from  the  sun,  so  at  first  we  could 
see  only  the  driver,  and  gather  an  indistinct  impression 
that  there  were  two  figures  in  the  back  seat. 

"  Visitors,"  said  I.  "  I  didn't  know  Mrs.  Trowbridge 
was  expecting "  Then  I  broke  off  with  a  little  gasp. 

«  Oh,  Sally,  it's— 

"  The  Duke  and  Katherine ! "  she  gurgled. 

All  my  blood  raced  up  to  my  head,  as  if  I  were  going 
to  have  a  sunstroke. 

"  No  wonder  I  had  a  presentiment,"  I  groaned,  for 
getting  my  fright  about  the  horse,  for  a  moment.  "  Do 
stand  by  me." 

"  I  will,"  said  Sally. 

Mrs.  Trowbridge  and  the  girls  were  busy  in  the  kitchen, 
making  peach  jam;  so  when  the  wretched  old  chaise  drew 
up  close  to  the  verandah,  Sally  and  I  were  alone  to  re 
ceive  it. 

If  my  sense  of  humour  hadn't  been  trampled  upon  by 
various  emotions  which  were  all  jumping  about  at  the 
same  time,  I  should  have  had  hard  work  not  to  laugh  when 
Stan  and  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  scrambled  out  from  under  the. 


300    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

lumbering  old  hood,  which  was  like  a  great  coal  scuttle 
turned  over  their  heads.  Their  hair  was  grey  with  dust, 
their  faces  purple  with  heat,  and  evidently  they  were  both 
in  towering  tempers. 

Stan  looked  at  me  the  way  he  did  once  when  I  was  small 
and  spoiled  his  favourite  cricket  bat  by  digging  up  worms 
with  it; — as  if  he  could  have  shaken  me  well  and  boxed 
my  ears,  and  would  if  I  weren't  a  girl.  As  for  Mrs.  Ess 
Kay,  she  smiled;  but  her  smile  meant  worse  things  than 
Stan's  frown. 

"  Hullo,  dear  boy,"  I  chirped,  nervously.  "  How  do 
you  do,  Mrs.  Stuy vesant-Knox  ?  " 

Sally  murmured  something,  too,  and  Stan  had  the  grace 
to  claw  off  his  hat,  showing  how  damp  his  poor  hair  was 
on  his  crimson  forehead,  but  he  didn't  even  pretend  to 
smile. 

"  A  nice  dance  you've  led  us,"  said  he.  "  By  Jove,  I 
wouldn't  have  thought  it  of  you,  Betty." 

"  Maybe  you  don't  understand  yet,"  said  I.  "  Wait 
till  I've  explained,  and  I'm  sure  you  won't  be  cross,  because 
you  always  were  a  dear." 

"  It's  no  good  wheedling,"  he  grumbled.  "  I'm  not 
going  to  wait  for  anything.  We've  come  to  take  you 
home,  and  the  quicker  you  pack  up  and  get  ready  the 
better." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  home?  "  I  enquired. 

"  To  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox's  house  in  New  York, 
wrhere  she  says  she'll  be  good  enough  to  put  us  up  till  the 
next  decent  ship  sails  for  England." 

"  I'm  not  going  back  to  Mrs.  Stuyvesant-Knox's,"  said 
I.  "  She  knows  why  it's  impossible." 

"Rot,"  said  Stan.  "She's  jolly  kind  to  have  you, 
after  the  way  you've  acted.  Anybody'd  think  you  were 
eight,  instead  of  eighteen.  You  deserve  to  be  put  on 


ABOUT    JIM  301 

bread  and  water  for  making  me  come  three  thousand  miles 
to  fetch  you  home." 

"  I  didn't  ask  you  to  come,"  said  I,  "  and  you  needn't 
have  bothered.  Is  Vic  engaged  yet?  " 

"  Yes,  she  is ;  the  day  before  I  started.  What's  that 
got  to  do  with  it?" 

"  A  good  deal,  according  to  her,"  I  replied.  "  I'm 
engaged,  too." 

"  The  dickens  you  are !  "  exclaimed  Stan,  getting  redder 
than  ever,  while  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  gave  a  little  start  and 
glared  at  Sally. 

My  blood  was  up  now,  and  I  didn't  care  what  I  said.  The 
sooner  Stan  knew  everything  just  as  it  was,  the  better. 

"  Yes,  the  dickens  I  am,"  I  echoed,  defiantly,  "  and  I 
don't  intend  to  be  treated  like  a  naughty  child,  by  anyone. 
I've  done  nothing  wrong,  or  underhand.  We've  only  been 
engaged  since  yesterday,  though  we  both  fell  in  love  at 
first  sight  on  shipboard,  and  we've  written  to  mother  and 
you,  this  very  morning." 

"  Engaged  to  a  man  you  met  on  shipboard ! "  repeated 
Stan,  looking  flabbergasted,  and  turning  from  me  to  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay. 

"  Tom  Doremus !  "  she  gasped.  "  Yet  no,  that's  im 
possible.  He's  in  Newport.  But  there  was  no  one  else. 
I  was  particularly  careful." 

"  I  am  engaged  to  marry  Mr.  James  Brett,"  I  said. 
«  He  is " 

66  There  was  no  such  man  on  the  ship,"  she  broke  in, 
sharply. 

Then,  suddenly,  she  almost  jumped. 

"  Goodness  gracious!  "  she  exclaimed.  "  Oh,  Duke,  this 
is  too  awful.  I  remember  there  was  a  person  in  the 
steerage.  But  this  is  madness.  It  can't  be " 

"  He  did  cross  in  the  steerage,"  I  said.     "  What  of  it? 


302    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

He  is  the  best,  and  handsomest  man  I  ever  saw,  and  there's 
no  finer  gentleman  than  he ;  you  can  ask  Sally  if  there  is, 
for  she  knows  him." 

"  And  thoroughly  approves  of  him,"  Sally  finished,  tak 
ing  my  hand.  "  Duke,  I  assure  you  Betty  is  to  be  con 
gratulated.  I  understand  that  the  Duchess  was  not  averse 
to  her  marrying  an  American,  and  the  one  she  has  chosen 
is  of  the  very  best  type." 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  Miss  Woodburn,  but  hang  the 
type,"  said  Stan,  who  never  did  get  on  with  Sally.  "  It's 
absolutely  impossible  that  my  sister  should  marry  such  a 
person,  and  you  ought  to  have  known  better  than  to  en 
courage  her.  This  is  a  hundred  times  worse  than  I 
thought  when  I  flung  up  the  best  shoot  of  the  season  to 
come  and  fetch  you,  Betty.  You  and  I  were  always  by 
way  of  being  pals,  but  I  agree  with  the  Mater  now ;  you've 
behaved  disgracefully,  and  as  for  the  man,  whoever  he 

"  Here  he  comes  to  speak  for  himself,"  cut  in  Sally, 
squeezing  my  hand  hard. 

There  was  a  sound  in  the  distance ;  voices  shouting,  but 
not  the  voice  I  loved.  We  all  looked,  and  a  black  horse 
with  a  man  on  his  back  sprang  into  sight,  like  a  rocket 
gone  wrong.  It  was  Jim,  looking  more  beautiful  than  any 
picture  of  a  man  ever  painted,  his  face  transported  with 
the  joy  of  battle  and  triumph,  and  that  fiend  in  horse 
shape  under  him  doing  all  he  knew  to  kill. 

It  was  a  terrible  and  yet  a  splendid  thing  to  see,  that 
struggle.  I  hadn't  known  how  I  adored  Jim,  and  how  I 
admired  him,  till  I  saw  him  with  that  smile  on  his  face, 
sitting  the  black  devil  as  if  he  were  one  with  him  in  spite 
of  the  brute's  murderous  plunges. 

The  two  shot  past  the  house  like  a  streak  of  lightning, 
then  wheeled  back  again,  the  horse  clearing  a  ditch  and  a 


ABOUT    JIM  303 

five-barred  fence  from  one  meadow  into  another;  but  he 
didn't  jump  in  spite  of  Jim;  rather  was  it  in  spite  of 
himself.  Then  there  was  a  series  of  mad  buck  jumpings, 
leaps  into  the  air,  and  downward  plunges.  The  beast  sat 
on  his  haunches,  and  then  reared  up  with  a  great  bound, 
to  waltz  on  his  hind  legs  and  paw  the  air,  snorting.  But 
still  Jim  smiled  and  kept  his  seat  without  the  least  appar 
ent  effort. 

"  Jove !  that  fellow  can  ride,"  muttered  Stan,  taken  out 
of  himself  by  his  man's  admiration  for  a  man. 

"It's  Jim  Brett,  my  Jim  Brett,"  I  cried.  "What 
do  you  think  of  him  now  ?  " 

But  it  didn't  occur  to  Stan  to  answer.  I  don't  suppose 
he  even  heard;  he  was  far  too  deeply  absorbed  in  the 
passing  drama;  and  in  a  minute  more  Jim  and  the  black 
horse  were  out  of  sight  again. 

But  I  was  not  at  all  afraid  for  him  now.  I  was  only 
proud,  and  sure — as  sure  as  I  was  of  life — that  he  would 
conquer. 

Nobody  spoke.  Mr.  Trowbridge,  and  Mr.  Jacobsen, 
the  disagreeable  cowbell  man  who  owned  the  horse,  ran  by 
as  fast  as  they  could  go,  too  excited  to  glance  at  the 
house,  and  Albert  and  Elisha  followed.  Mrs.  Trowbridge 
and  the  girls  had  come  out  from  the  kitchen  and  were 
hanging  over  the  nearest  fence.  Patty  was  whimpering 
a  little,  so  I  guessed  all  in  a  flash  that  she  had  cared  for 
Jim.  (But  she  is  so  sweet  she  will  get  over  it  now  he  is 
mine ;  and  already  I've  made  her  realise  thoroughly  what 
a  fine  fellow  the  great  Whit  is.) 

We  stood  still  in  our  places  and  watched.  I  could  hear 
my  heart  beat,  and  it  had  not  time  to  calm  down  before 
Jim  came  riding  back  on  the  black  horse — a  changed 
black  horse,  all  winning  airs  and  graces,  to  cover  shamed 
penitence  now, 


304    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

The  creature  pirouetted  up  the  side  road,  and  Jim 
stopped  him  at  the  verandah,  patting  the  throbbing  black 
neck.  "  Well?  I  believe  I'll  buy  him  myself,"  he  said  smil 
ing  to  me ;  and  then  he  saw  Mrs.  Ess  Kay  and  my  brother. 

"  By  Jove,  Harborough !  "  said  Stan.  "  It  is  you,  isn't 
it?  Surely  it  isn't  your  double?" 

"  Harborough  it  is,"  said  Jim,  while  I  listened,  dumb 
with  wonder.  "  How  are  you,  Duke  ?  I  was  rather  ex 
pecting  you  might  turn  up ;  but  I  cabled  to  you  last  night 
to  Boodles',  and  wrote  you  this  morning  on  the  chance 
you  hadn't  started." 

"  Well,  I'm  bio  wed,"  remarked  Stan,  most  inelegantly. 
"  Are  you  Brett,  or  is  Brett  you,  or  is  he  somebody  else  ?  " 

"  My  name  is  James  Brett  Harborough ;  perhaps  you 
didn't  know,  or  had  forgotten,"  said  Jim;  and  then,  jump 
ing  off  the  horse  and  throwing  the  lines  to  Mr.  Jacobsen, 
who  had  just  trotted  anxiously  up,  he  came  to  me. 

"  Will  you  forgive  me ?  "  he  asked. 

"  I  don't  know  yet  what  it's  all  about,"  I  said,  dully. 

"  Miss  Woodburn  knows ;  and  Mohun sleigh  knew.  You 
see,  he  and  I  were  old  pals,  so  I  told  him  I  was  in  love  with 
his  cousin,  and  was  going  to  try  hard  to  win  her,  in  my 
own  way.  You  remember  Mohunsleigh's  friend  Harbor 
ough.  You  said  the  other  day  you  were  sorry  for  him, 
and — you  wished  him  joy  of  his  love  affair." 

"  Oh,  is  that  the  reason  you  pretended  to  be  only  Jim 
Brett?" 

"  I  am  Jim  Brett.  But  now  you  understand,  will  you 
forgive  me  ?  " 

"  I  don't  understand  yet,  except  that  you  must  have 
been  afraid  I  might  care  more  for  your  money  than  for 
you,  if  I  knew.  Oh,  how  could  you  think  such  a  thing  of 
me?  But  about  the  steerage " 

"  That  was  beforehand.     It  had  nothing  to  do  with 


ABOUT    JIM  305 

you,  though  everything  that  was  to  come,  came  from  it. 
I  was  abroad  for  a  couple  of  years,  and  a  friend  I  knocked 
up  against  in  Paris  last  June  bet  me  a  thousand  dollars 
that  in  spite  of  all  my  queer  experiences,  I  wouldn't  have 
the  pluck  to  rough  it  in  the  steerage  of  a  big  ocean  liner. 
I  took  the  bet,  and  won  it.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  seeing 
you,  I  should  have  gone  West  almost  at  once  after  land 
ing  in  New  York,  but  I  had  seen  you,  so  I  stayed.  Luckily 
for  me,  I'd  met  Miss  Woodburn  often  in  San  Francisco 
and  once  here.  She  recognised  me  in  my  steerage  get-up 
and  was  the  only  one  who  did ;  but  her  tact  kept  her  from 
spoiling  sport.  She  guessed  there  must  be  a  game  on, 
and  said  not  a  word  to  anyone.  She  wouldn't,  even  if  I 
hadn't  managed  to  send  her  a  note,  which  I  did.  I  had 
a  conversation  with  her  on  board,  too,  the  day  before  get 
ting  in,  and — we  talked  about  you.  Even  then  I  felt 
sure  you  couldn't  be  the  sort  of  girl  to  care  about  money, 

but " 

"  It  was  partly  my  fault,  Betty,"  Sally  broke  in  when 
he  paused.  "  To  be  quite,  quite  frank,  I  knew  that  the 
Duchess  had  fallen  in  with  some  ideas  of  Katherine's,  and 
I  couldn't  tell  how  far  your  bringing  up  mightn't  have 
influenced  your  nature,  so  I  encouraged  Mr.  Harborough 
to  test  you  by  keeping  up  the  story  that  he  was  a  poor 
young  fellow  named  Jim  Brett.  It  handicapped  him,  and 
kept  him  away  from  you;  but  you  were  interested  in  him 
to  start  with,  and  I  did  my  best  to  keep  up  the  romance. 
I  thought  he  wouldn't  lose  by  it  in  the  end,  and  he  hasn't. 
There  was  the  morning  in  the  Park ;  I  managed  that ;  and 
I  got  Katherine  to  send  him  an  invitation  to  her  big  party. 
He  was  playing  a  waiting  game,  because  he  wanted  you 
to  care  in  spite  of  every  drawback,  or  else  he  wouldn't  want 
you  to  care  at  all ;  and  then,  before  he  was  ready  for  any 
coup,  Fate  stepped  in  and  did  the  rest." 


306    LADY    BETTY    ACROSS    THE    WATER 

"  In  the  best  way  it  could  have  been  done,  I  think,"  said 
Jim.  "  Now,  little  girl,  do  you  understand,  and  have  you 
forgiven  me?  " 

"  I'd  like  to  think  you  could  have  trusted  me  from  the 
very  first,  without  playing  at  all,"  I  answered.  "  Still — 
it  is  romantic,  isn't  it?  And  besides,  even  if  I  were  very 
angry,  I — I'm  afraid  I'd  forgive  you  anything  after  see 
ing  you  ride  that  horse." 

"  I'm  hanged  if  I  couldn't,  too,"  said  Stan.  And 
laughing,  the  two  shook  hands. 

"  And  I  suppose  I  shall  have  to,  as  well,"  purred  Mrs. 
Ess  Kay,  quite  kittenishly,  "  if  only  somebody  would  in 
troduce  Mr.  Harborough  to  me." 

(As  if  anyone  cared  whether  she  forgave  him  or  not!) 

"What  about  the  Duchess?"  asked  Sally. 

"  Oh,  when  I  tell  her  that  Betty's  engaged  to  marry  a 
chap  I've  met  and  liked  in  town — a  thorough  sportsman, 
too,  it  will  be  all  right,"  said  Stan. 

I  was  glad  he  didn't  refer  to  Jim's  money,  even  though 
that  is  the  thing  which  will  appeal  most  to  Mother.  As  for 
me,  I  am  almost  sorry  he  isn't  poor,  if  there's  room  in  my 
heart  to  be  sorry  about  anything.  But  I  don't  believe 
there  is.  It's  such  a  beautiful  world,  and  I  shall  have  two 
homes  in  it  now ;  one  on  each  side  the  water. 


THE  END 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below, 
or  on  the  date  to  which  renewed.  Renewals  only: 

Tel.  No.  642-3405 

Renewals  may  be  made  4  days  prior  to  date  due. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


- 


UtU  15 


LD21A-10m-8,'73 
(R1902S10)476 — A-31 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


